


My Brother's Keeper

by LufwoodEmilius



Category: AFTG - Fandom, All For The Game, All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Angst, Hospital Warning, M/M, cancer warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:48:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 33,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26233666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LufwoodEmilius/pseuds/LufwoodEmilius
Summary: Willow and Mackenzie are twins. And not just any twins, they are the children of Andrew Minyard and Neil Josten. Suddenly, the family's world is turned upside down when Mackenzie gets sick and Willow is the only one who can help him. Will she make the right decision?
Relationships: Neil/Andrew
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

The day was like any other Saturday at the Minyard-Josten household. As always, the family had woken up extra early that morning to get the kids out the door for their morning Exy game. Yet somehow they were still running five minutes behind schedule. Andrew was always the first out the door for a quick smoke before driving them the half an hour to the court. He puffed out his cheeks as he looked at his watch and groaned. 

“Fucking hurry up,” he muttered to himself before taking another drag from his cigarette. 

Finally, the door to their Colombia home creaked open, as a blonde headed boy, no older than ten, sluggishly walked out the door carrying his giant gear bag down the steps. Andrew watched in silence. Mackenzie had been tired a lot more in the recent weeks. But it was to be expected, with pre-teen tryouts just around the corner, practices had been upped to four times a week instead of the two that they normally had. 

“Alright, do you have everything you need brat?” Andrew asked, opening the trunk of his SUV. 

Neil had insisted that he traded in his black sports car for a more convenient car after they had the kids, much to Andrew’s protest. 

“Yeah…I have my helmet, chest and shoulder padding, gloves, neck guard, shin guards, and my arm guards and my racquet,” the boy recounted as he tossed the bag into the trunk. Mackenzie groaned and rubbed his back. 

“Good…now where the fuck is your demon spawn of a sister?” Andrew asked. 

As if on cue, another blonde haired kid, a girl, came shuffling out the door. A piece of toast dangling from her mouth. Her eyes half open. Her gear bag thumped down the front steps. It was clear that the girl hated mornings. But that wasn’t unusual. Much like Andrew, Willow, had never really been a morning person. Andrew watched, unamused, as she dragged her bag across the driveway. 

“Well, good morning to you too brat,” he said as he watched her toss her own bag beside her brothers. 

The girl just grunted as she shuffled past Andrew to her seat in the car. Andrew chuckled as he closed the trunk door. Neil soon joined him, holding two cups of coffee, and raised an eyebrow. 

“You know, it wouldn’t hurt you to call them by their names. Or have you forgotten them in your old age?” Neil asked, with a sly smile. 

“Why don’t you shut the fuck up?” Andrew retorted, with a smile of his own, as he rounded the car to the driver’s seat. 

Neil kept his smile and followed Mackenzie to the other side of the car. When the family was settled, Andrew drove to the court. It was a quiet drive. The twins kept themselves busy with various devices. Mackenzie had slipped on his headphones for some music while being absorbed in his eBook. While Willow had plugged in her headphones into her Nintendo Switch and was busily playing. Neil and Andrew certainly spoiled them. 

Finally, they made it to the court. Already families were filing into the court, displaying proudly the colours of their kids' teams. Silver and black for the Parksville Panthers. And red and white for the Colombia Cardinals. Andrew and Neil never believed in wearing the team's colours when they were on the Foxes. It was expected once they had children. So, they traded in their casual shirts for jerseys with the team’s name and colours. The name Minyard-Josten sprawled across the back.

Andrew poked each of the kids in the shoulder. “Hey, time to unplug brats,” he said. 

There was a reluctant moan as headphones were pulled out of ears and devices were stashed into bags. 

“Hey, quit complaining you two,” Neil said, pulling out the bags from the back. “Now hurry up and get to the changing rooms. We’re lucky that Andrew drives like a demon or else you would be late for drills.” 

The two grabbed their bags and sprinted across the parking lot, while Neil and Andrew joined the throng of parents entering the court. They took their usual seats at the back of the court. As always, Andrew rested one foot in front and an elbow behind. Meanwhile, Neil sat back with his arms crossed. Minutes later both teams entered the court for warmups. They spotted the twins easily. Mackenzie sported the number 5, while Willow was number 13. They watched as Willow turned and waved to them enthusiastically. Begrudgingly they waved back. 

They didn’t have to wait long for the game to start. The Cardinals won the coin toss andlike most teams, went on the offensive. Willow won the ball once it was in the air and sped down the court like lightning before attempting to pass it to her teammate. An opposing Backliner intercepted and passed it to one of their Strikers. From then on the game went by quickly. 

As first half came to a close, Willow noticed her brother down the court. Currently, the two teams were currently debating whether a Backliner had stick-checked one of the Cardinal’s Strikers. Her brother had remained in goal and was now leaning heavily on his racquet. Through the cage of his facemask she noticed that Mackenzie looked quite pale. Minutes later Willow watched as he tore off his helmet, and fell to his knees, vomiting. Her heart stopped as he collapsed to the court floor. A resounding gasp echoed around the court. 

Time seemed to slow down as Andrew and Neil watched in horror as people ran across the court to their son. Suddenly, everything went red for Andrew. From the bleachers he didn’t hesitate in jumping to his feet and tearing down the stairs to the court door. How dare they touch his son without him there. He slammed his hand against the door. 

“Let me fucking through! Now!” He demanded. 

The minutes passed like hours. And the door couldn’t have been opened soon enough. Andrew slipped through the door, without even for the door to fully open he dashed to Mackenzie. Andrew pushed his way through the throng of people. His heart pounding in his chest. 

“Get the fuck out of my way!” He yelled, as he unceremoniously pushed the crowd away. 

As he made it to the front of the crowd, the Cardinals coach and a team of paramedics were already there checking the boys vitals. Catching movement, the coach turned and reached out to stop Andrew from taking another step. Andrew slapped it away and grabbed the coach by the collar of his jacket, knocking his headset to the floor. 

“Sanders,tell all of them to keep away from my son,” Andrew hissed. 

“Andrew, you know I can’t do that. I’ve had a player collapse on my court. We all need to let the paramedics do their job,” Sanders explained calmly. Clearly, this was not the first time he had seen Andrew blow up. 

Andrew’s grip on Sanders tightened. “Fuck the paramedics!” He yelled. “No one has the right to be anywhere near my son!” 

“Andrew, just let the paramedics do their job. You’ll be with Mackenzie in a few minutes,” Sanders explained, as he tried to pry Andrew’s fingers from his jacket. 

“Fuck you,” Andrew hissed. 

Neil sighed and shook his head. Andrew would always be Andrew. He turned his head to find that Willow had not moved from her spot on the court. Her hands squeezing tightly on her racquet. Her lower lip quivering. He walked over and knelt across from her, gently taking her racquet from her hands and removing her helmet with care, placing both on the floor. 

“Willow…” Neil whispered, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Willow…” He repeated. 

That seemed to get her out of her trance. She glanced at Neil. “Hmmm?” 

“Why don’t you go shower? I’m going to collect Andrew and Mackenzie, alright?” He instructed. 

Willow nodded numbly and slowly approached the change rooms with her gear, while Neil approached Andrew. As she entered the change room, she watched as Neil placed a hand on Andrew’s shoulder and whispered something in his ear. Reluctantly, Andrew let go of Coach Sanders and turned towards Neil. 

As Willow entered the change room, she was greeted by silence. The only sound coming from a dripping tap from the showers. She found her bag hidden under her locker. In silence, she pulled her sweaty gear off and walked to the showers. The heat from the water poured over her body. Yet, she still felt numb and cold. What had just happened? One minute her brother was fine. The next, he had collapsed onto the court floor. With the exception of lack of appetite and tiredness, Mackenzie seemed to be in good spirits at home. The same old nerd he always had been. 

Minutes later, she was washed and dressed. Just as she stepped out of the change room the team of paramedics walked past her with Mackenzie lying unconscious on the gurney, Andrew laying one hand on its railing. He paused briefly when he saw Willow. 

He knelt and placed an elbow on his knee. “Listen Willow, I’m accompanying Mackenzie to the hospital. You and Neil are going to drive over there now, alright?” He explained. 

Willow nodded and looked down at the floor. She clenched her hands into fists, tears rolling down her cheeks. Andrew watched in silence for several seconds. He was never good with words when it came to comforting people. He awkwardly cleared his throat and without another word, he disappeared out the door with Mackenzie. Neil silently approached and placed a loving hand on Willow’s shoulder, resting her head on his chest. They remained silent for several minutes as Willow tried to compose herself. 

Neil checked his watch. They couldn’t waste any more time at this point if they were going to meet Andrew at the hospital. Andrew was already agitated as it was. His attitude was not going to improve as he sat for hours waiting for answers at the hospital. He led Willow to the car, this time allowing her to sit in the front seat. To break the silence, Neil turned on the radio. Nothing special. Just the local news, but it was better than nothing. 

The closest hospital was twenty minutes away. And it was the longest twenty minutes for both Neil and Willow. Throughout the drive Willow stared silently out the passenger seat window, while Neil tapped his fingers nervously on the wheel. Finally, they made it and hurried inside to find Andrew sitting in the waiting area. He tapped his fingers on his lap, his eyes fixed on a chair across from him. 

“Andrew,” Neil called as the two walked across the room. 

Andrew got to his feet as they approached. Neil rested his forehead against Andrew, eyes closed, not speaking. The two didn’t need to speak to understand each other. The two spent several minutes in silence. Finally, Andrew wrapped his arms around Neil’s back, hugging him firmly. Willow stood awkwardly beside them, not knowing what to do. 

Neil looked down at Willow lovingly. “Come here…” He pulled her into the hug. 

Willow felt their arms wrap around her warmly. Again, there was silence between them as Willow took in the moment. Her eyes closed. And for a bit all her worries were washed away. Someone cleared their throat, breaking the silence. Andrew jumped and glared at whoever broke their silence. It was one of the doctors. A young woman no older than thirty, stood across from them in clean, light pink scrubs. A stethoscope hung around her neck. The name on her tag said ‘Sarah Roberts.’ 

“Hello, my name is Doctor Roberts, is…one of you Andrew Minyard?” She asked.

“Yeah, that’s me,” Andrew replied, raising his hand. 

Doctor Roberts offered her hand for him to shake. Andrew never trusted doctors. He stared at her hand with his arms crossed. With a smile, Neil took her hand and shook it warmly. 

“Nice to meet you. I’m Neil Josten, Andrew’s partner,” he said without hesitation. “Is everything okay with Mackenzie, Doctor Roberts?” He asked. 

“Right now, everything seems to be okay. With Andrew’s permission we’re doing a non-invasive physical on Mackenzie to check for any irregularities,” she explained. “We won’t know what’s going on for a while. It would be really helpful if we talked about some of the symptoms Mackenzie’s been displaying.” 

“Of course…anything,” Neil said. 

Doctor Roberts smiled and nodded. “Great, come this way to my office.” 

They were led down a series of hallways. Around them, the sounds and images of the hospital blurred together. Visitors and staff spoke in hushed tones. Squeaky footsteps echoed through the hall. The buzzing and beeping from various hospital equipment floated through the air. Occasionally, Willow heard someone cough or cry out. Willow watched as patients shuffled down the hall. Their fingers clung to long poles on wheels. Bags filled with clear liquids hung from the tops and wound their way to their hands. 

As they turned the corner, Willow caught a glance of a gurney that had been left out in the hall. A man laid motionless on the bed. His wrinkled hand had fallen to the side. The man coughed, making Willow jump. She reached for Neil’s arm and squeezed it tightly to her body. 

They entered the small office and they all took a seat at the large wooden desk. On the desk itself was a name plaque, pens and a few fun toys. Behind the desk stood a large shelf filled with large medical texts and models of the human body. On the far wall was Doctor Roberts' medical degree. A plant stood in the corner of the room. Willow remained standing, instead choosing to lean against Andrew for support. 

“So, what would you like to know?” Neil asked, obviously taking charge of the situation. 

“Well, tell me some of the symptoms Mackenzie has been experiencing,” Doctor Reed said.

“Well, quite recently Mackenzie told us that he hadn’t been feeling well. For the last couple of months, we’ve noticed fatigue and loss of appetite,” Neil explained.

“Hmmm….” The Doctor wrote something down. The sound of her pen scratched along the paper. “Anything else?” 

“Well, Mackenzie’s also been complaining about a pain in his back. Particularly in his upper and mid back,” Neil added glancing at Andrew.

Again, Doctor Roberts nodded and added something to her notes. Neil watched in silence. From one of the drawers in her filing cabinets Doctor Roberts pulled out a sketch of the human body. She circled the mid-back.

“So, right around here?” She asked, circling a good chunk of his mid-back.

“That’s right,” Neil replied and nodded.

“Interesting…” She made another note.

“Of course, when he began to complain of this back pain we took him immediately to our family pediatrician. She summed it up as nerves,” Neil continued. 

“Nerves?”

“Our kids play little league Exy,” Neil explained. “It's the championships so the kids are training a lot more. They’re coach is also considering them for the pre-teen league, so he’s invited coaches from other teams to watch them play. Of course, it’s supposed to be hush hush, but Willow and Mackenzie know anyways. So, his doctor just figured that his fatigue, loss of appetite and pain has just been nerves. Says that a lot of kids suffer from this.”

“Hmmm…I see…I mean, it is possible that Mackenzie is suffering from very mild anxiety with the stress of needing to perform well,” Doctor Roberts explained. “Has Willow shown any similar signs?” She asked.

Neil shook his head. “Not at all. In fact, she’s been performing better than ever,” he explained.

Doctor Roberts nodded. “Is there anything else?” She asked again.

“Actually yes. Ummm..Mackenzie has had on and off fevers for the last couple of months,” Neil added. “We didn’t think anything of it. Again, we just thought it was related to his nerves.”

There was a pause as, once again, the Doctor made a few notes in silence. She glanced at her notes thoughtfully before looking back up at Neil and Andrew.

“I think that’s it in terms of symptoms,” Neil said after a while.

“Thank you, this has been very helpful. With your permission, I would like to take some blood tests in order to rule out as many possibilities of serious sickness as we can,” she said. 

Neil glanced at Andrew, who only shrugged. He turned back and nodded. “Of course doctor,” he replied.” 

“Thank you, that is much appreciated.” She smiled and pushed her glasses up her nose. “Also, before I forget, since Mackenzie’s a child it’s normal for one of the parents to stay with him for the night.” Her gaze went between Neil and Andrew. 

Neil knew with Andrew’s history he would never stay. He sighed and raised his hand. “I’ll do it.” 

“Great, I’ll let one of the nurses know and we’ll roll a cot in his room for you. Willow and dad…” She paused and glanced at Andrew and Willow again. “Why don’t you two go home and get some rest?” 

Andrew nodded and took Willow’s hand. “We will, thank you,” he mumbled. 

“Now, let’s go and see Mackenzie, hmm?” The Doctor got to her feet and led them back out into the hall.

Willow remained close to Andrew and Neil. She was practically walking on their heels, she was so close. Minutes later, they left the main ward of the hospital and entered the children’s ward. The walls were painted an ocean blue and covered in pictures of fish, mermaids, whales, dolphins and buried treasure. The floor was painted to look like sand, while the ceiling swirled with several colours to mimic the ocean’s surface. Around them, instead of hospital beds, plush pillows and bean bag chairs lined the floor. A television was mounted on the far wall in the common room, an episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender ran. Children, all of them still in their pajamas, laid sprawled over the floor on various cushions. Willow stopped momentarily to stare at the television. 

Neil and Andrew left her for a bit and disappeared into one of the nearby rooms. She would be fine. Willow leaned on the wall, watching in silence. Her thumb nail in her mouth. Twenty minutes later Neil poked his head out of the door and whistled. 

“Willow, come say a quick hi to your brother and then you and Andrew are going to go grab some dinner,” he said. 

Willow nodded absently and shuffled to the room; her eyes still glued to the television. They were just at the best part of season 1 of the show. And she didn’t want to miss it. Neil shook his head with a smirk and pulled her gently into the room. When the show was out of her view, she finally turned her head. 

The room was decorated similarly to outside. They certainly liked to keep the ocean theme. Mackenzie was lying on a small bed. He looked tired. Willow silently walked over and took a seat beside him. 

“Hey, how are you feeling?” She whispered.

Mackenzie shrugged. “I’m okay, I guess,” he replied. “It’s scary though…I don’t understand why I have to do all these things. Everything’s so cold and noisy…But everyone’s been really nice. And the food’s been good.” He smiled.

Willow couldn’t help but laugh. Neither Neil or Andrew were known for their cooking skills. Meals were usually things they could easily make from a box or a can. 

“Our parents are a pretty low bar Mack,” Willow replied with a smile. 

Her brother just laughed again. It was good to see him in such good spirits despite what happened earlier that day. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and pulled up her knees. Mackenzie and Willow spent the rest of their time talking. Video games, television shows, Exy. Anything to get their mind off of what had happened. Meanwhile, Neil and Andrew just watched in silence. It was rare to see the twins actually having a civil conversation. At home, if they weren’t talking like normal children, the two either argued or completely ignored each other. 

Eventually, the nurses were making their rounds, reminding visitors that visiting time was over. Andrew got to his feet. 

“Come on Willow. We’ll see your brother tomorrow,” Andrewsaid, herding her towards the door. He looked over his shoulder. “Later brat. We’ll see you tomorrow.” 

“Yeah, bye Mackeznie…” She paused briefly. “I’ll bring some stuff for you tomorrow,” she whispered, hand resting beside her mouth.

“Willow, out in the hall,” Neil instructed, pointing to the door, before glancing at Mackenzie.  
Before Andrew could leave the room, Willow’s head popped from around the corner. “Do you want books, video games or both?” She asked. 

“Willow!” Andrew snapped. “Out!” 

Willow smiled and, like a frightened guppie, her head disappeared back into the hall. The two shook their heads and joined Willow. In silence, they left.


	2. Chapter 2

“Hey, brat, time to get up,” Andrew said, arms crossed over his chest. 

No movement. He groaned and rubbed his temples, every morning was a struggle to get this kid out of bed. It was the same routine almost every morning. Always,the first step was to knock. Neil and Andrew were always held hope that a knock would wake her up. But it never worked. Step two was coming in and calling her name, in Andrew’s case his loving nicknames for the kids. Still, that almost never worked. And it wasn’t working now. Time to move onto step three. Extreme measures. And Andrew was never one to be nice. 

Andrew rolled his eyes and grabbed the edges of her blanket and placed a foot on the edge of her bed. In one movement, he pulled the blanket off Willow and promptly pushed her off the bed. She landed on the floor with a loud thump. Willow groaned and slowly pushed herself off the floor. Her tangled mess of hair dangled in front of her face. Her mouth turned into a scowl. Andrew just shrugged as he tossed the blanket onto the bed. 

“Hey, I knocked and gave you a verbal warning. You know what happens next,” he said as he left the room. “We’re going to the hospital in twenty minutes. Get yourself ready. Breakfast is ready in the kitchen.” 

Without speaking, Willow pulled clothes from a pile of half-clean clothes and found a turquoise dress, something that her Aunt Renee, had bought her only a few months before, and a pair of light blue leggings, and pulled them on. It wasn’t great but it was something. She joined Andrewin the kitchen a few minutes later, fighting with her hairbrush. She hated having wavy hair which tangled too easily. Andrew looked up from the brim of his coffee mug before shaking his head. He got to his feet and took the brush from her. 

“Sit, eat,” he instructed. 

She obeyed without argument and grabbed a piece of toast from the table, smothering it in peanut butter. As she ate, Andrew fought to take control of the girl’s wild hair. Something that she inherited from her surrogate mother, Renee. On occasion she cried out in pain as he attempted to put her hair into a ponytail. He finally gave up and went with a messy bun on top of her head. It would have to do. 

Eventually, puffed out his cheeks, obviously frustrated. “If it were up to me brat, your hair would constantly be short.” He looked at Willow. “Now you have five minutes to get entertainment for your brother. Go.” 

Willow jumped to her feet and ran out of the kitchen and into her brother's room. Unlike hers, Mackenzie’s room was always kept neat. Lego models sat on his desk, books lined his shelves and educational posters hung on his walls. Willow always teased him about it. From his desk, she grabbed his Kobo, ipod and headphones. Next was a stop in her room, where she grabbed her Nintendo Switch, her ipod and headphones as well. With entertainment in hand, she joined Neil and Andrew in the front hall, stuffing everything into a backpack. 

“Right! Ready!” Willow cried, a smile across her face. 

The two of them walked to the car and left without another word. Willow slipped her headphones on and began to play her music. She looked thoughtfully out the window. Watching the streets blur by. She sighed. She wondered how Mackenzie was today. Hopefully, what he had was nothing serious. As they rolled up to the hospital, her stomach sank. 

She jumped out and followed in silence. Nothing had changed in the hospital. The same images and the same sounds passed by her as they made their way to the children’s ward. Willow kept her eyes averted. Her hands gripping the straps of the backpack tightly. The sounds of her sneakers squeaked along the floor. As they entered the common room, something new was playing on the television. Willow eyed the tv before being herded away. 

As Willow and Andrew entered the bedroom, they saw Neil, wearing nothing but his jeans, slumped against the wall, nursing a cup of coffee. Meanwhile, Mackenzie was just finishing his breakfast as they entered the bedroom. Pieces of overly burned toast and watery eggs were left on his plate. Drips of orange juice rolled slowly down the glass and onto his tray. The meal did not look overly appetizing in Willow’s opinion. She snubbed her nose. Mackenzie pushed his table away and sat up with a smile. Obviously, excited to see his family. 

“Morning!” He cried and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He wore a pair of grey pajamas that the hospital had given him. 

“Morning brat,” Andrew said as he placed a bag onto a nearby seat. “We brought you a pair of your pajamas and some extra personal items for you to wear.” 

Mackenzie dove into the bag and pulled out a pair of navy-blue sweats and a black shirt. Meanwhile, Willow pulled out his entertainment. She smiled. 

“I brought your Kobo and your ipod. And I also brought my Switch for you to play if you get bored, nerd,” she said, taking a seat beside him on the bed. 

“Thanks…” He cleared his throat and looked bashfully at Willow. 

She knew what that meant. Willow rolled her eyes and shuffled out of the room to give him some privacy to change. She stared at the television as she rested her back against the wall. A nurse passed her minutes later and slipped into the bedroom. From inside she could hear talking. 

“Good morning,” she said softly. “According to the doctor, there were some weird results with Mackenzie’s blood work. And there seems to be a strange lump on his back.” 

“What does that mean?” Neil asked. 

“We don’t know. So, the doctors would like to conduct a few more tests on Mackenzie. So, if you would follow me Mackenzie,” the nurse said. 

In silence, Mackenzie followed the nurse out. They both disappeared around the corner. There was nothing to do now, but wait. So, Willow entered again and collapsed onto Mackenzie’s bed, picking up her Switch. At least she could use it for some fun. 

The three of them spent several hours waiting in silence with no news on Mackenzie’s condition. She had already played a solid two hours on her Switch and now Willow was getting bored. She rolled onto her back, her arms flopping on the sides of the bed and stared up at the ceiling. When was her brother going to come back? 

As if on cue, Mackenzie was rolled into the room. Doctor Roberts and the nurse from before following close behind them. Willow sat up eagerly and smiled. 

“Mack! You’re back!” She cried, draping her arms around her brother’s neck. 

Mackenzie smiled back weakly and took a seat with his sister on the bed. 

“Andrew, may we speak to you privately?” Doctor Roberts asked. 

“Whatever you say to me, you can say to Neil,” Andrew replied. 

She nodded and motioned for the two of them to follow her back to her office. 

“You two stay here, and stay out of trouble. Go, watch the movie, or something,” Andrew said, swinging his hand boredly. 

The twins nodded obediently and watched the others leave. Without hesitation, Mackenzie picked up his ebook and was soon absorbed in one of his novels. Her brother was positively boring. So, Willow’s options were to watch the movie out in the common room or play more on her Switch. Neither sounded particularly appealing. She looked boredly at her brother. 

“Wonder what they’re talking about in the Doctor’s office,” she commented. “What do you think Mack?” 

Mackenzie shrugged. “Dunno. Now be quiet, I’m at the best part of my book.” 

“You’re no fun,” she muttered and sat up. 

With her brother being a boring git, Willow decided to satisfy her curiosity. Silently, she slipped from the room and wandered down the hall. Her socked feet making no noise on the tiled floor, keeping a close eye out for Neil and Andrew. But it was a struggle. Most of the doors were closed and she could only look in through a small window. Those that were open were empty. As she approached the end of the hall, her searching became a bit more rushed. She gave a quick look in one last room and nearly missed it until she heard the familiar voice of Neil. 

“So, what do the tests tell you? What’s going on with Mackenzie?” Neil asked. 

Willow skidded to a stop and slipped, falling onto her butt. She scrambled to her feet and pressed herself against the wall, listening carefully. There was the shuffling of paper and a clearing of a throat. 

“Well, after yesterday’s phsyical examination we noticed a strange lump on Mackenzie’s back. As a result, we did some blood work yesterday and took an x-ray of Mackenzie’s body this morning. With the results from the test and the scans there’s a possibility that Mackenzie has Stage one kidney Cancer,” Doctor Roberts explained. 

Willow didn’t mean to, it just happened. She let out a loud cry and blindly headed for the exit of the hospital.


	3. Chapter 3

Without missing a beat Andrew jumped to his feet, his chair falling to the floor. He hurried out the door without hesitation and followed Willow down the hall. It didn’t take him long to catch up to her and wrap his arms around her waist, lifting her into the air. She grunted in frustration and kicked back, kicking Andrew in the stomach. Andrew grunted and tightened his grip on her, waiting until she wore herself out. It didn’t take long. After ten minutes of struggling, her breath became heavy. Large tears rolled down her cheeks. Small sobs left her lips as she tried to hold herself back from crying. 

Slowly, Andrew lowered her to the floor and rested her against his chest. He felt her tears soak through his shirt. Gently, he rubbed her back and rested his chin on her shoulder. 

“Everything will be fine, Willow,” he whispered. 

At those words, Willow burst into heavy sobs. She wasn’t sure how to express herself, except through crying. Andrew felt his heart sink and tears begin to form in his eyes. He hated seeing _his_ kid in this much pain. He held her tighter and stared blankly at the wall, unsure what to say. Instead, he held her and allowed her to cry. 

~~

Neil and Doctor Roberts waited in silence for several minutes, hoping that Andrew would return. When he didn’t, it was decided that they would continue without him. Only one of them _really_ needed to be there to collect all the information about the next steps anyways. The Doctor cleared her throat, her face expressionless.

“So….ummm…” Neil cleared his throat and squeezed his pant leg. “Could you explain the seriousness of Mackenzie’s diagnosis?” He asked. 

“Well, at this point we’re not positive that it's cancer. The next step would be doing a biopsy,” she explained. 

“What would that require?” He inquired. 

“Well, what we would have to do is insert a specialized needle into Mackenzie’s back and extract cells from the tumor on his kidney. Then we would send it to the lab for testing where we will learn if the tumor is cancerous or not,” she replied. 

Neil nodded numbly. “And if it is? What can be done about it??” He asked. When he swallowed, he felt like something hard was going down his throat. 

“Well, to begin, we can do blood transfusions and a round of chemotherapy. We would do a Bone Marrow Transplant after that, depending on how much pain he’s in.” 

“Could you give me a bit more information about what the blood transfusions and Bone Marrow Transplant will do to help him?” Neil asked. 

“An excellent question. Well, because he has cancer to his kidney his blood count is lower than it normally is. So, the blood transfusion will keep enough cells in his blood,” Doctor Roberts explained. “Meanwhile, the reason we’ll potentially want to do a Bone Marrow Transplant is because it will allow him to receive very high doses of chemotherapy down the line.” 

Neil nodded. “Uh...right...totally understandable.” 

“We will also prescribe him some painkillers. The painkillers will take away only _some_ of the pain while we monitor the growth of the tumor. Ultimately, he will have to wait for a possible kidney Transplant,” Doctor Roberts explained. “Your son’s blood type is O Negative. We would like to look to the rest of the family first to see if anyone is compatible for the blood transfusions. Would that be possible?” She asked. 

Again, Neil nodded dumbly. “Uh…yeah…no problem…” A moment passed and Neil tensed. “Wait, what?” 

“We want to take blood samples from the family,” the Doctor repeated. 

Neil had no problem giving blood. Even Willow was okay with doing tests. It was Andrew who was going to be the problem. Neil cleared his throat.   
  
“I don’t mind doing it. And Willow’s fine. I’ll just need to convince my partner. He’s….” What was a good word to describe Andrew? “Stubborn…” He finally said. That was putting things lightly. Andrew’s behaviour was beyond being stubborn. He was downright hostile. 

“Alright…while you speak with your partner, do I have permission to test your daughter?” She asked. 

“Yeah, that’s fine. Just let me text Andrew and they should be here shortly.” From his pants pocket, Neil pulled out his phone. 

In silence he texted Andrew. 

~~

Andrew’s phone buzzed. By now, Willow was now dozing in his lap. He had positioned them on one of the walls. As Willow slept, Andrew glanced at the text Neil had sent him. He rolled his eyes. He grunted and stiffly got to his feet. Willow dangled unceremoniously in his arms. Her mouth hanging open. A light snoring coming from her mouth. 

When they arrived at the office, Andrew shrugged, as if asking why he had been summoned. Neil smiled at the Doctor and walked into the hall. Andrew noticed a small cotton ball in the crook of Neil’s elbow. He didn’t even need to be told what had to be done. 

“No,” he hissed. “I’m not doing it.” 

“Andrew,” Neil hissed back. “All the doctor wants to do is take a bit of blood, from all of us, for some testing. This is serious. Our son’s life is on the line.” 

“Hey, they have blood donors for a reason,” Andrew replied. 

“Look, at least let her take a sample from Willow,” Neil whispered. 

There was hesitation. Andrew looked down, expressionless, at the sleeping Willow. He pressed her protectively against his chest. There was a moment where Neil wasn’t sure Andrew was going to give Willow up. Andrew sighed and handed Willow to Neil, who carried her into the office. The door closed behind them. 

Gently, Neil awoke Willow. As her eyes opened, Willow rubbed her eyes sleepily and groaned.   
  
“Hmmm? What’s going on?” She asked as she slowly began to wake up.   
  
“We’re going to be doing some simple blood tests,” Doctor Roberts explained. “We want to see whose blood is compatible with your brothers.”   
  
By now Willow had finally woken up properly. Before she knew it, Doctor Roberts had gently taken Willow’s arm and slipped a needle into it. She screamed and tried to pull her arm away. Neil placed his arms around Willow in a bear hug to keep her from struggling. Unable to move her arms she angrily headbutted his face. His grip slightly loosened allowing her to elbow him in the stomach, winding him. 

Andrew chuckled. “That’s my girl,” he said. 

“Not funny,” Neil said breathlessly. 

This was her chance to escape. Without missing a beat, Willow jumped to her feet and tried to dash for the door. Before she could leave, Neil painfully reached out a hand and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back to the examination bed. He caught his breath and hoisted her back into a seating position. Willow then watched in horror as the blood was collected in a small vial. When it was over, Willow was gently laid across the bed and the doctor disappeared to send the blood in for testing. No more than a few minutes. 

Now it was time to handle the monster. As Willow rested Neil walked back into the hall. By this point, Andrew had disappeared. But Neil had a good idea where to find him. He slipped his hands in his pockets and made his way outside. And, like he predicted, Andrew was sitting on one of the hospital benches smoking. He took a seat next to his partner and slipped the package of cigarettes from out of Andrew’s pockets, lighting one. The two were silent for several minutes. Neil watched as his cigarette slowly burned down. 

“Are you really going to let our son just use someone else’s blood all because you’re too stubborn to get tested?” Neil asked. 

“Fuck off,” Andrew muttered. 

“Andrew, talk to me,” Neil said.   
  
There was silence again between them. Andrew lit another cigarette and let it dangle between his lips. Neil waited patiently for Andrew’s response. Eventually, Andrew sighed, his arm with the cigarette falling to his side.   
  
“It’s not that I don’t want to do it. It’s just that..." Andrew hesitated. "This whole hospital visit has me on edge.” He held his head in his hands not bothering to finish his cigarette. Instead, he let it burn down to the butt. 

Neil looked sadly down at his partner. Ever since Neil could remember, Andrew always had a problem with doctors and hospitals in general. And that was understandable. Neil remembered Andrew spending an extended period of time at a hospital during his first year with the Foxes as they evaluated his behaviour and changed his medication. Neil knelt across from Andrew and reached out weaving his fingers through Andrew’s until their hands were linked. Andrew stared at Neil’s hands in silence. Neil leaned in until his mouth brushed against Andrew’s ear. Andrew shivered. 

“Andrew,” Neil whispered. “What can I offer you in exchange for you donating your blood today?” 

Andrew smiled slyly. There was only one thing that Neil could offer. “You know what you have to say,” he whispered back. 

Neil softly chuckled. “Andrew, if you allow the doctor to take your blood, I’ll let you blow me tonight.”   
  
“It’s a deal,” Andrew whispered again. 

The two got to their feet. Andrew flicked the butt of his cigarette away and headed for the door. Meanwhile, Neil puffed out his cheeks and pushed his hair back with his hands. The things he did to make Andrew feel more in control of a situation. Together, the two of them wandered back into the hospital. By the time they arrived back to the office Willow was already sitting up enjoying a cookie and a carton of apple juice. And it seemed that she was explaining Exy to Doctor Roberts. The poor woman. Neil cleared his throat, breaking the conversation. 

“Andrew’s agreed to give blood,” Neil said.   
  
“Excellent…” She got to her feet and motioned for Andrew to take a seat on the bed, while she got what she needed from her cupboards. She walked to Andrew and prepared his arm. “You have quite the charming daughter. She told me all about Exy and your professional careers.” 

“Is that so?” Andrew asked, glancing at Willow. 

“She’s very passionate about the sport. Which is good. Having that sort of passion is very important for a child her age,” Doctor Roberts replied. “All done…” 

Neil laughed. “Was that so hard, you baby?” He crossed his arms. 

Andrew shot him an evil look. One that could burn holes in walls. Neil couldn’t help but chuckle again.   
  


“I’ll be right back. The results for this last test shouldn’t take too long. How about you go and see Mackenzie in his room. And I’ll give you the results there?” Doctor Roberts smiled. 

Neil and Andrew nodded. They herded Willow out the door and back down the hall, again, towards the Children’s ward. _The Incredibles_ was now playing on the screen. The two of them figured that Willow had been through enough, so allowed her to sit quietly in the common room to watch it. As they entered the room, Mackenzie was already asleep. Good, he needed the rest. 

They were only there for another half an hour before the doctor came in with the results. She took a seat on one of the spare chairs and looked down at the charts. 

“It seems that only one of you has the same blood type as your son. Andrew, you have AB negative. Neil, you B negative. Willow has O positive. As much as I would like to have one of you donate blood to Mackenzie, he can _only_ get a blood transfusion from Willow. I’m afraid that Willow will have to do a lot of the donations for Mackenzie. Siblings are especially good for donation,” she explained. 

Neil and Andrew felt like they had both been hit in the guts. Mackenzie was already going to suffer enough. Now Willow needed to get dragged into it. Andrew narrowed his eyes and left the room in silent frustration. Neil sighed and nodded. 

“I understand. Thank you for everything so far. Give us a call so that we can book the first blood transfusion appointment,” he said before following Andrew out the door. 

~~

It was a quiet drive back home. Willow could tell that things were tense between Andrew and Neil. When they entered the house, Willow dropped her backpack and began to make her way towards her bedroom. She felt a hand rest heavily on her shoulder. She looked back and found that it was Neil preventing her from leaving. 

“Come on, we’re going to have a family meeting. There are a few things we need to discuss,” he said sadly. 

Willow nodded and followed Neil into the living room, where Andrew had already made himself comfortable on one of the couches. She took a seat in her usual bean bag chair as Neil took a seat next to Andrew. Willow gulped and felt her heart sink. 

“So, you know that Mackenzie might have kidney cancer,” Neil began. 

Willow nodded sadly. 

Neil cleared his throat and thought about his words carefully. “Well…ummm…” 

This was harder than he thought it would be. Neil had survived Riko Moriyama. He even survived Ichirou Moriyama. Yet, he couldn’t explain to his own kid what had to be done. He groaned and rubbed his face with his hands. Right…better get this over with. 

“In order for your brother to get better, there are a few things that need to be done,” Neil explained. “The first is a series of blood transfusions. Andrew and I cannot give blood to your brother. Our blood will not allow it. The only person who can donate blood is you, Willow. So…” He paused. “We need you to give your brother the blood he needs to get through this.” 

There was silence as Willow processed what Neil had just said. She had to donate blood? What did that mean? How much blood would she have to give? Would she die? She took a big breath in as she tried to hold back tears. Why did it have to be her? Why couldn’t they just use the blood they had at the hospital? She wasn’t sure if she wanted to yell, cry or do both. 

“No…” Willow said. “I don’t want to do it.” 

She knew that it was selfish. But Andrew and Neil had always told her and Mackenzie to be honest and to speak when they didn’t want to do something. 

“Will…come on, this is for your brother,” Neil explained. 

“Neil, enough,” Andrew said. 

Neil turned on the couch so he faced Andrew. “Andrew, this is important,” he replied. There was a hint of anger in his voice. “Our sons’ life is on the line. We have a way to help him get better…” 

“Yes, at the expense of our daughter,” Andrew replied, his hands clenched into fists. He didn’t even let Neil finish. 

“Yes!” Neil cried. “This blood transfusion will make a world of difference for Mackenzie.” 

“Willow said “no!”” Andrew yelled. “And I, for one, want to respect _my_ daughter’s choice _and her_ body!” 

There was an explosion of rage as Andrew and Neil got to their feet. Neil was a good three inches taller than Andrew. But Andrew wasn’t scared to fight anyone, despite their size. Willow watched with silent tears as the two stared each other down. 

“So, you’ll allow our son to wait for a Blood Transfusion? Only 2% of the population has O Negative blood and can be given to anyone Andrew!” Neil snapped. “As a result Mackenzie’s blood is in short supply! If we wait for someone with that Blood type to donate we could be waiting a long time! And by then the cancer could spread to most of his major organs!” 

“I’m just giving Willow the chance to have control over her own body! Something that I _never_ had Neil! Or do you forget that?” Andrew yelled. 

“You’re being so fucking selfish! Both of you are!” Neil snapped. 

“Why don’t you just FUCK OFF!” Andrew yelled back, pushing Neil against the wall. 

Willow gasped and stepped back as Neil pushed Andrew back. Andrew raised his hand as if to strike Neil, who flinched. Andrew took a sharp breath and lowered his hand slowly. He stared angrily at Neil. 

Neil straightened, his face becoming devoid of emotion. “I can’t be with you when you’re like this Andrew. You’re being really selfish right now,” he said coldly. 

Andrew shrugged and turned. Slowly, he walked to the door and slammed it behind him. The sounds of a car engine revving was heard outside. Neil stared expressionless at the door before hearing the silent sobs of Willow behind him. He turned to see her standing firmly in the center of the room. Of course Andrew had left him to deal with Willow. Sometimes Andrew was a child himself. He crossed the room to Willow and knelt, his arms opened, welcoming her. 

“Come here,” he muttered.   
  
Willow fell into his arms and buried her face in his shoulder. Neil placed a gentle hand on her back. He sighed and kissed her gently.   
  
  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This picture is of Andrew and Willow after she finds out that her brother may have Cancer. Andrew is trying his best to comfort her like the amazing dad he is. This art is done by the amazing mykaeba. Her tumblr can be found here: https://mykaeba.tumblr.com  
  
Please check her out and fanperson over AFTG! 


	4. Chapter 4

The weeks went by slowly. Mackenzie had been discharged a couple days after his biopsy . A week after Mackenzie’s discharge the hospital finally called with the results, confirming that Mackenzie had kidney Cancer. Now Neil had to think of when to inform the two of them about the results. tension filled the house. Willow kept to herself, keeping herself as small and quiet as possible, in order to not start another argument between Andrew and Neil. By the end of the third week, Mackenzie was finally able to return home. The Doctor had prescribed him Tylenol-3 to help relieve some of the pain. Willow was unsure what to say to Mackenzie. She felt awkward talking to her twin since Andrew and Neil’s argument. 

That night, Neil had decided to make pasta for dinner. It wasn’t anything special. A simple, watered down, meat, sauce and spaghetti. The four of them sat down to dinner. Things were quiet at first. Finally, Mackenzie broke the silence. 

“Hey, when I was at the hospital, a kid came in who had a hip surgery. He said that he needed to get a hip replacement,” Mackenzie explained. “He showed me his cast. It covered him from his hips to his mid thighs. It looked like he was wearing underwear on the outside!” He burst into laughter. “He has to wear a pee bag!” Mackenzie burst into laughing again at the word ‘pee.’ 

“That sounds pretty funny,” Neil replied with a casual smile. 

“Yeah! And the best part was, he was in the room next to mine!” Mackenzie smiled widely. “He even let me sign his cast!” 

Willow couldn’t focus on Mackenzie’s story. Instead, she stared down at her dinner and poked it around her plate. There was a tense silence for several minutes. Neil figured now would probably be the best time to tell them about the diagnosis. 

He cleared his throat. “So, I have something to tell both of you,” he said. 

Mackenzie and Willow looked up from their meals. “O-kay?”

“The results from Mackenzie’s biopsy came back a little while ago. And ummm…” He paused, looking for the right words. He felt his heart pound in his chest, tears springing to his eyes. “It seems that the tumor that was on Mackenzie’s kidney tested positive for Cancer.”

There was silence around the dinner table again. The twins obviously trying to process the information that they had just been given. Mackenzie took a deep breath, trying to hold back tears, as he sat back in his chair. Meanwhile, Willow pushed her plate away and looked up angrily. 

“Can I be excused?” She asked, forgoing the “please.” 

“Uh…sure…” Neil said. 

In silence, Willow took her plate and placed it on the counter to be eaten later. Neil watched her leave, while Andrew continued to eat. Even during this time, Andrew continued on with his life. He didn’t seem phased by the awkward tension at the dinner table. In the distance, the sounds of high-pitched blasting could be heard from Willow’s room. 

The rest of dinner was silent as Mackenzie pushed his meal around on his plate. Neil looked sadly at his son. He knew that Mackenzie was trying to be brave. 

“You know, it’s okay to cry Mackenzie,” Neil said. 

“I know,” Mackenzie replied. “Can I have some ice cream?” He asked. 

Neil nodded and took Mackenzie’s plate, placing it in the sink beside Willow’s He scooped a good portion of Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream. He took a second bowl to Willow’s room, knocking gently on her door. The sounds were paused indicating that Neil was permitted to enter. He opened the door and smiled. 

“I…brought you some ice cream. Case you were hungry,” he said, placing the bowl down on the bedside table. 

Willow stared blankly at her gaming system, her arms hugging her knees tightly. Neil knew that look all too well. All this tension and worry in the house was affecting her in so many ways. It wasn’t fair to her. He placed an arm around her shoulders and held her gently. 

“Willow, it was wrong of me to expect you to take care of your brother. It would be great if you donated the blood he needs. But I will not pressure you into doing it, alright? This is entirely your choice,” he said. 

~~

A scream went through the house a few nights later, waking the entire house. It was coming from Mackenzie’s bedroom. Andrew and Neil leapt out of bed and rushed in, Tylenol-3 in hand. Mackenzie was lying on his bed, sweat rolled down his body making his sheets stick, his breath coming in heavy pants, eyes wide with panic. He arched his back and rolled onto his stomach. Andrew and Neil had been told that there would be nights where Mackenzie would wake up in excruciating pain. But they weren’t prepared for this. 

“Help me!” He yelled. “It hurts so much!” 

He screamed again and curled up. Tears rolled down his face as the pain washed over him again. Neil sat on the bed and grasped Mackenzie. 

“Don’t curl up Mack,” he instructed. Neil looked at his partner. “Andrew, get him water,” he snapped, pointing to the hall. 

Andrew didn’t need to be told twice. He hurried out of the bedroom and passed Willow in the hall, as she shuffled out of her own room. She wandered to the door and stared silently at her brother. Her thumb nail nervously in her mouth, her hand resting gently on the doorframe. He was in so much pain. She knew what the right thing to do was. But she was so scared. It was such a huge responsibility. And, if she did it, the both of them would be in so much pain. But, was all this worth her own fears, worries and potential pain? Finally, after minutes of coaxing him, Neil was able to get Mackenzie to unfurl and lie on his back. Mackenzie’s breath still came in heavy gasps. Neil stroked his sons’ head gently. 

“Sssshhh, everything will be okay,” Neil whispered in his ear before kissing the top of his head. “You’re okay.” 

Minutes later, Andrew returned with a glass of water and sat behind Mackenzie, his sons’ sweaty back resting against his chest. Neil offered Mackenzie two pills and watched as he swallowed them down. 

“Is he going to be okay?” Willow asked. 

Neil turned and tensed, realizing that Willow shouldn’t even be here. He got to his feet and shuffled her out of the room. Meanwhile, Andrew got to his feet and carried Mackenzie gently around the room. Her brother’s head resting sleepily on Andrew’s bare shoulder. Andrew gently patted his back. He looked so tired. 

“Your brother will be fine. The doctor told us this would happen, so we were prepared,” Neil explained. “Now, go get some rest. You have a game in a few hours to attend.” He gently herded her into her bedroom and tucked her back in. He smiled.

Willow watched him leave through half-closed eyes. She soon fell asleep again. Hours later, she was woken up again by Neil, who shook her gently awake. 

“Wake up Willow, time for your game. Can’t miss it. This is the final game before championships,” he whispered.

Uncharacteristically, Willow got up without a fuss and got herself ready without needing to be told twice. She pulled on a large black sweater, a Fox paw and the number 3 printed on the back, and a pair of leggings. As she walked down the hall, she passed Mackenzie’s room. The door had been left ajar, so she peered in. It seemed that Andrew had fallen asleep with Mackenzie still in his arms. The blanket thrown casually over them. It was almost hard to believe that Mackenzie had been writhing in pain earlier that morning. 

“Willow!” Neil whispered down the hall. “Breakfast!” 

Willow rushed down the hall and grabbed some toast from the middle of the table before rushing out the door. It was the same routine. They drove to the court and Willowed geared up for the game. There was obvious whispering from the parents around him. More talk about Mackenzie. Ugly rumors had been going around the Little League community about Mackenzie and their family. Some were saying that Andrew and Neil were starving Mackenzie. Some were saying that somehow Mackenzie had gotten into Andrew’s rumoured drug stash. Others were saying that he had contracted HIV through Andrew. Neil pretended not to hear the rumors. But it was hard to ignore. 

~~

The final score of the game was 3-2 for the Cardinals. Meaning that the Cardinals were moving onto the Championships. After this, there was no doubt that Willow and Mackenzie would be admitted early to the pre-teen level. That meant a new team and a new court that was, hopefully, closer to home. Neil hurried out of the court, hands in his pockets, shoulders slouched, and waited in the foyer for Willow. Minutes later, she opened the door, the sound of cheering girls wafted into the foyer. Neil gave her a tired smile and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. 

“Good game out there today Will,” he said. “Gotta say, your footwork has improved over the last few months. One thing though, keep your…”

“Racquet up, I know. Coach says the same thing. It’s just that, this new racquet is just so heavy,” Willow whined. 

“Builds good upper body strength,” Neil explained, tossing her bag into the car. 

They drove home in silence, the only sound coming from the radio which played quietly. Willow was now dozing in the backseat. Her head resting on the window. It was good that she was getting sleep now. It had been a long night for all of them. By the time they got home, Andrew and Mackenzie were both up. Andrew wandering around the house in only sweats, carrying a mug of coffee, a cigarette between his lips. Mackenzie was on the couch watching television. Willow dropped her bag and began to wander into the living room. 

“Oi! Brat! Clean up your shit. What do we live in, a barn?” Andrew called. 

Willow frowned and glared at Andrew. She angrily grabbed her bag, and intentionally dragged it across the floor to make a point. It thunked down the stairs to the basement. Andrew rolled his eyes. 

“Kids…” He turned to Neil. “Game was good?” 

“It was, actually. The Cardinals won 3-2,” Neil explained. “Championships are going to be in Myrtle Beach.” 

Before Andrew could respond Willow was back up the stairs and heading for the living room to join her brother. Neil sighed. 

“Going to make some lunch. Have either of you eaten?” Neil asked. 

Andrew shook his head. “We just woke up an hour ago. And Mack hasn’t really had much of an appetite.” 

Neil puffed out his cheeks. Just a few days ago Mackenzie’s appetite had returned. “I’m going to try and get him to eat a bit, at least.” Neil entered the kitchen. 

Andrew didn’t follow. Instead, he made his way to the front porch for a smoke. Leaving, Mackenzie and Willow alone in the living room. Mackenzie was now lying across the couch, hands at his sides. Willow crawled beside him and rested her head beside his. There was a moment of silence as they watched the tv. She cleared her throat. 

“So, how do you feel?” She asked. 

Mackenzie just shrugged. “The meds help with the worst of the pain. Especially at night. But there’s always this constant, mild pain in my back,” he admitted. 

“Oh…” Willow looked down and traced her finger on the couch. There was another moment of silence between the two before she cleared her throat. “And…what does the pain feel like?” She asked. 

Mackenzie glanced at Willow, giving her a look that screamed ‘really?’ Admittedly, that was probably the worst question to ask her brother. But she was curious. She couldn’t help it. She smiled apologetically. Mackenzie sighed. 

“If you really want to know it’s like this dull, sharp pain in my upper back that won’t go away. It’s almost as if someone has stuck something sharp there and I can’t get it out,” he explained. 

Willow winced. “When you learned it was cancer, were you…” She paused, her hands squeezing her pant legs. “Scared?”

Mackenzie’s gaze went to the window. There was no hesitation. “Yes…terrified.” He looked to his sister as well. “What about you?” 

Willow nodded. “Yes. Everything about this scares me, Mack.” She reached for his hand, brushing her fingers with hers. “When Andrew and Neil told me that I had to be the one to donate blood to you scared me more than you know. I know that I should do it. But I’m so scared to do it. And before you say it Mackenzie, I know, it’s selfish.” 

“To be honest, if everything was reversed, I would feel the same way Will,” Mackenzie said. “It’s not selfish, it’s common sense. Whatever you decide, it’s okay. I won’t be mad.” He rested his head against hers. 

There was another silence between them. The sound of the television in the background. Mackenzie’s eyes were half open as he dozed. This left Willow to her thoughts. Mackenzie’s words made Willow feel a bit better. The pressure was not there anymore. Her eyes drifted to her brother. They had learned about his diagnosis a few weeks ago. Still, those few weeks had changed her brother so much. He looked sick. She had the ability to save him. It was as if she was a Superhero. Super Willow. The thought brought a smile to her face. Maybe donating her blood wouldn’t be so bad. Especially if it made him feel better. And how many blood transfusions would he really need? 

“Mack…hey Mack….” She whispered. 

“Hmmm?” His eyes were still partially closed. “What is it?” 

“I’ve made a decision…I’ve decided that I’ll do it. I’ll give you what you need,” she said. 

Mackenzie yawned. “If that’s your decision, then I support you all the way.” He shifted his position on the couch and pulled the blanket over him. “Thank you Will. It means a lot,” was all he said before falling asleep. 

Neil poked his head into the living room, the smell of lunch filled the air. At that moment, the door opened, Andrew entering the house, walking passed them and into the kitchen. 

“Hey Will, lunch is ready,” Neil said. 

Willow nodded and left her brother sleeping on the couch. On the table was a family staple when it came for food. Macaroni and Cheese with cut up, cooked hot dogs. Ketchup sat in the middle of the table. Her stomach growled loudly and she smacked her lips as she took a seat, covering her meal with ketchup. She shoveled a spoonful into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. 

“Andrew, Neil,” she began, her mouth full of Mac and Cheese.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Neil said before taking his own bite. 

Willow swallowed. “I’ve rethought my decision about helping Mackenzie.” 

Andrew tensed and glanced up from his bowl. Neil cleared his throat and sat back. This was new, to both of them. 

“Really?” Neil asked. 

Willow nodded. “Mackenzie and I spoke about some stuff. He said that it was my decision whether I wanted to do it or not. And…after some thought, I decided that I would actually help him,” she admitted. 

“That’s….” There was a pause. “Very responsible of you Willow. Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” Neil asked.

Willow nodded again. “Yes…I want to do this.” 

Andrew pushed his chair noisily away from the table and left the kitchen in silence. Leaving his bowl on the table. Neil ignored the tantrum and patted Willow on the shoulder. 

“I’m proud of you Willow.” He smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

It wasn’t hard to book an appointment with the hospital for the first Blood Transfusion. It was a simple call. The wait was the killer. Another two weeks went by before they were able to go in. During that time, things in the house only got worse. Most nights Mackenzie woke up screaming in pain. No one in the house got nearly enough sleep. Neil and Andrew struggled at practice. Willow was even falling asleep in class. There was still serious tension between Neil and Andrew. Overall, things were not good in the house. 

Finally, the day of the procedure came, releasing a fair amount of stress for the family. The time of the surgery was early: seven thirty a.m. Far too early for any of them. But Neil had managed to get them all up and out the door by six. 

With Andrew’s driving they were at the hospital in fifteen minutes. Tiredly, Willow and Mackenzie were herded into a small room with separate changing areas. There were two grey hospital beds, with uncomfortable looking mattresses and thin blue blankets. Buttons decorated the side of the beds. The twins were tempted to push the buttons but didn’t. Large LED lights hung about the beds, bathing the room in an unnatural glow. On the end of each bed was a pair of hospital blue gowns for each twin. 

Eventually, a green curtain was drawn to give them privacy to change. It was cold in the room, making both kids shiver as they dressed into their hospital gowns. As they rejoined their parents, they continuously tugged at their gowns. They hadn’t been this exposed to each other since they were toddlers. And it was obvious that they were uncomfortable. The two of them were rounded up by two nurses and helped into two rolling beds in the hall. Blankets were pulled up to their hips. 

A nurse stepped forward; a smile spread across his face. Like the rest of them, he wore a pair of neat, blue scrubs and a pair of worn tennis-like shoes. Around his head he wore a surgical cap decorated with unicorns. No doubt to make him seem playful. 

“Hello, my name is Thomas Johnson. Wassup? How’s it going today?” he asked, with his smile. He raised his hands for high fives. 

Willow and Mackenzie glanced at each other briefly. It was clear that he was trying to be cool. Not even their parents would try and give them high fives. But at least he was trying. So, they obliged and slapped his hand. 

“Alright! I’m one of your nurses today,” he said, a bit too enthusiastically. “Today, we’re going to be doing something called a Direct Transfusion.” 

The twins blinked, obviously confused by what that meant. Thomas smiled. “Let me explain what that means. What we’ll be doing is we’re going to be sending blood from one person to the other by means of a cool tube attached to your arms,” he explained. 

Willow and Mackenzie still didn’t quite understand what that meant and turned towards Andrew and Neil, both nervously taking their hands. Neil and Andrew squeezed their hands reassuringly. 

“They’re just a bit nervous,” Neil explained. 

“That is totally understandable.” Thomas kneeled and cleared his throat. “There’s nothing to be nervous about. I’ll be with you every step of the way. Now, would it be okay if I explained the first step of the procedure to you?” 

The twins nodded. “Yes,” Mackenzie whispered nervously. 

“Alright, to start, we’re going to be putting something called an intravenous in your hand.” From a small tray, he grabbed two small pouches full of clear liquid and two small tubes with needles at one end. “These tubes are going to administer some water with electrolytes and sugar into your bloodstream. This will keep you hydrated throughout the procedure. Once you fall asleep another intravenous will be put into your arm and the Transfusion will begin,” he explained. 

The two nodded, acknowledging that they understood. “Great. Let’s get started.” 

They watched as Thomas prepared the intravenous. He started by slipping one end of each tube into a small knob at the end of the bag. His fingers flicked at both the tube and bag to get rid of any air bubbles. With the bags prepared, he slipped on a pair of gloves and took a rubber tie from the tray. Gently, he took Mackenzie’s arm and wrapped the tie around his upper arm, tying it tightly. Veins popped from him. Mackenzie gasped and tensed as the area was wiped clean and the other end of the intravenous was brought to his vein. His breath came in short gasps, his hand gripping tightly at his blanket. 

Thomas paused and smiled reassuringly. “Hey, everything’s going to be okay bud. Relax, breathe,” he instructed. 

Neil instinctively took Mackenzie’s hand again and allowed him to squeeze it tightly. With his free hand, Neil turned his son’s head away and watched as the intravenous was slipped into his arm and taped down. Next, it was Willow’s turn. She had watched nervously as her brother’s intravenous was placed into his arm. She wasn’t ready for this. Her heart began to race as the rubber tie was placed around her own arm. She could feel herself tense and her breath come short. Neil did the same thing and held her gently as the same steps were taken. As the needle was slipped into her arm, Willow squeaked. 

“What the hell was that?” Neil laughed. “Are you a mouse now?” 

Willow scowled at him, clearly not amused by Neil’s comment. He couldn’t help but laugh again and returned to his seat. 

“Alright, so you two are prepped for surgery. Shall we roll on outta here?” Thomas asked. 

“Uh…sure?” Mackenzie replied, an eyebrow cocked. 

“Awesome! Dads? Do you want to wish them good luck before they go?” He smiled. 

Neil and Andrew got to their feet. They were not ones for cuddling or obvious signs of emotion. Instead, they gently hugged them both and ruffled their hair. 

“We’ll see you in a couple of hours, okay?” Neil said. 

Willow and Mackenzie nodded. The two squeezed their blankets tightly. 

“Now that we’re ready, THUNDERCATS ARE GO!” Thomas said enthusiastically. 

Three more nurses stepped forward. Two of them silently grasped Willow’s bed and began to push her out the door. Mackenzie was quickly behind her with Thomas and one of his colleagues. This part of the hospital was quiet compared to the others. Only a few doctors and nurses lined the hall. Some family members sat silently in the waiting room. Apart from that, the space was clear of any visitors and medical equipment. They passed another patient who was still asleep, one of her legs was slightly elevated. An intravenous hanging above her head. 

They turned another corner and finally slipped through a large pair of double doors. The area was eerily silent. Nothing was there. Occasionally, they would see a doctor leave one of the side rooms. Masks covering their faces, rubber gloves clinging to their hands. Soon, they turned yet another corner and slipped into a large, operating room. Already, Doctor Roberts was standing ready for the procedure. She smiled. 

“Morning you two,” Doctor Roberts said with a warm smile. “You two ready?” 

“As ready as we’ll ever be,” Mackenzie replied for the two of them. 

“Great.” Doctor Roberts clapped her hands and turned to her team. She called out terms that the twins didn’t quite understand. 

When the doctor turned back to them, nurses approached. Carefully, their gowns were opened and small coloured patches, with wires, were attached to their chests. Large machines beside them suddenly came to life, quietly beeping. A small mask was brought up to Mackenzie’s face and slipped over his head. He breathed in. Willow watched as his eyes slowly closed. As she stared at her brother, her own mask was brought up to her face. She turned her head sharply and screamed. 

“No!” She called. “Stop it!” She began to squirm on the bed, and her heart began to race. Her head avoiding the mask. Her free arm and legs lashed out. “Leave me alone! I don’t want to do this anymore!” She looked, panic stricken, at the door. The beeping from her machine suddenly spiking. 

Doctor Roberts approached Willow and placed a hand on the side of her bed. She looked down warmly. “Hey Willow, what’s making you so worried?” She asked. 

“I’m just scared,” Willow admitted. 

“Why are you scared?” She asked. 

Willow’s lip quivered. “I don’t know...I just am,” she whispered. 

Willow’s fear wasn’t uncommon. Many children were scared of what was going to happen during surgery. Doctor Roberts crouched and looked Willow in the eyes. She gently rubbed Willow’s hand. 

“I understand your nervousness. But everything will be fine, I promise,” she said. “Just take several deep breaths with me.” 

With the help of Doctor Roberts, Willow breathed deeply. In through the nose and out through the mouth. Willow felt someone take her other hand and squeeze it reassuringly. She could feel her heart calm. Of course, Willow was still scared but less so. Doctor Roberts stood and nodded. A nurse carefully slipped a mask over her nose and mouth. 

“Keep breathing Willow, nice and slowly,” Doctor Roberts instructed. 

Willow’s eyes darted over to her doctor and breathed deeply. She squeezed the nurses hand. Slowly, her eyes became heavy and everything began to fade. Within seconds, everything went black.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something fun for the readers. Wymack is now called Grandpa Wymack and Abby is Grandma Abby!

It felt like mere seconds before the twins felt themselves awaken. Mackenzie was first, followed closely by Willow. They looked around the recovery room dazed and confused, still obviously groggy. The room was filled with strange faces in various states of recovery. Some still asleep, some were like them—just getting up—while others were fully awake and ready to be moved to their rooms. There was no sign of either Andrew or Neil, which scared them. They hoped that one of them would be there to greet them when they awoke. They soon felt themselves begin to shake, their teeth rattling in their heads, as the anesthesia began to wear off. Without hesitation nurses walked over and draped them in warm and comforting blankets. The shaking soon stopped. 

“Hey there,” the nurse said with a sweet smile. “In a few minutes you’ll be moved from the recovery room to one of the rooms in the Children’s Ward. Are you two at all hungry?” 

They weren’t hungry, but they were thirsty. Both of them wanted a drink badly. 

“Is there anything to drink?” Willow asked hoarsely. 

She nodded and disappeared into a small side room. She returned with two cans of ginger ale, with straws, and placed them on their side tables. With the help of the nurse they adjusted themselves so that they were in a sitting position. With stiff arms they reached for their drinks. Willow paused, despite having a piece of cotton taped on her arm, she noticed a large bruise was beginning to form on her arm. . She paused and stared. She figured that was where they took her blood. After a while, she grabbed her drink and returned to her resting position. She sipped silently. 

It wasn’t long until they were ready to be taken back to another room. With drinks in hand, they were rolled out of recovery. In the hall, Neil and Andrew got up from their seats and joined them. They didn’t speak. Instead, they just followed silently through the halls until they reached their room. This time, the room was filled with an underwater shipwreck, sunken treasure included. Willow and Mackenzie were then transferred to new beds. Andrew didn’t even bother to wait. He took a seat and crossed his arms. 

“Alright, so this button….” The Nurse indicated to a beige button at the side of the bed. “Is to adjust the bed. You can rise and lower the back so you can sit up or lie down. And this big red button…” Again, she indicated to another button beside them. “Is to call one of us if you need anything.” 

“Thank you for all you’ve done,” Neil said, taking a seat. 

Just as the nurse left, Doctor Roberts slipped into the room, chart in hand. Willow groaned and rested her head against her bed. She was done with all these nurses and doctors for the day. Couldn’t they get a moment to themselves? She glanced at the doctor and hoped that she would just leave. Instead, Doctor Roberts pulled up a third seat and joined them. Apparently not, Willow thought. 

There was a moment of tense silence as Doctor Roberts glanced down at the chart. Finally, she looked up with a pleased smile. 

“Well, I just want to say that the blood transfusion went really well. We had no problem getting blood from Willow,” she explained. 

Neil nodded thoughtfully and glanced at Andrew. “That’s great news.” 

“We would like to keep them both here for a couple of days. Because Willow is under 16 we want to make sure that there’s no further complications after donation.” She paused to push up her glasses. “As for Mackenzie, it often takes a couple days to see if the procedure was successful. We want to make sure he doesn’t get any fevers or allergies. It also allows us to do another blood cell count,” she explained. 

“Understood,” Neil said. “Is there anything we can do?” He asked. 

“Well, every patient enjoys getting things from home. This could include: pillows, pajamas, toiletries, flip-flops or slippers, stuffed animals, entertainment,” she replied. “So, why don’t you and Andrew return home and collect a few belongings to make them feel a little more comfortable?” 

Neil nodded. “We can do that…” 

Doctor Roberts smiled sweetly. “Oh, and also, who will be staying with them again?” She asked.   
Neil sighed. “Same as always, I’ll stay with them over the next couple of days,” he replied   
Doctor Roberts nodded. “I’ll make sure that a cot is wheeled into the room for you Mr. Josten.” 

“That would be great. Thank you.” He glanced at the twins. “You two going to be okay for a little bit while Andrew and I get some stuff?” 

“Yeah, we’ll be fine,” Willow said. 

“Great…” Doctor Roberts got to her feet. “One of the nurses will be around shortly with some popsicles for you two. Bring up that sugar level.” 

The twins smiled and sat up in bed. Popsicles sounded very good. “Ooooo, can I get chocolate?” Willow asked. 

“Yeah, me too!” Mackenzie added. 

Doctor Roberts chuckled. “I’ll make sure to let the nurse know.” 

She turned to Neil and shook his hand warmly before offering it to Andrew. He stared stoically at her hand before looking casually away. Throughout the encounter her smile never faded. She nodded once before leaving. 

“You can at least pretend to be nice,” Neil commented, walking into the common room. 

“Bite me!” Andrew replied as he got to his feet and joined Neil. 

Willow and Mackenzie laughed at Andrew’s comment. Andrew smiled slyly and nodded his head. The twins always found his dark humour funny. Neil rolled his eyes. They were definitely Andrew’s kids. Soon, they heard their footsteps disappear down the hall. Willow continued to stare up at the ceiling, her eyes slowly growing heavy. Even that little interaction made her weary. Soon, she found herself dozing. The sound of the television outside drifting in and out. Before she knew it, she had fallen back to sleep. 

~~

The family was able to return home a couple days later and the twins were flooded with gifts. Friends of the family, even Andrew’s real family, had gotten word of what had happened. Cards, candy gift baskets, stuffed toys, movies, books were laid out on the living room table. The two didn’t hesitate. With as much effort as they could muster, Willow and Mackenzie entered the room and each took a gift basket for themselves before taking a seat on couches. Neil shook his head and grabbed the baskets. 

“You two won’t be getting anything until you’ve had something proper to eat,” he said. 

“Oh, come on! Aunt Renee even bought us our favourites!” Willow whined. 

“That’s nice of Renee. But right now we need to eat some lunch,” Neil replied, ignoring the girl's pleas. 

The twins frowned and crossed their arms, watching Neil place the baskets back onto the table. He disappeared into the kitchen just as Andrew wandered in after having a smoke. He noticed the sour faces of Willow and Mackenzie, figuring that Neil had laid down the law. Neil somehow always ruined the fun. He glanced quickly over at the kitchen before wandering over, tossing each of them a bag of gummies. He slipped his hands into his pockets. 

“I heard that!” Neil called. “Andrew!” 

Andrew shrugged. “Look, it ain’t going to kill them to have some candy before lunch. They’ve just come back from the hospital. Let the kids have a little fun,” Andrew replied casually, walking into the kitchen. 

Before chowing down, Willow had wandered over to the DVDs that people had sent them and flipped through them. 

“Hmmm…someone bought us Space Jam, want to give it a watch?” She asked her brother. 

Mackenzie shrugged. He was already half done eating the gummies. “Doesn’t matter to me,” he replied, popping another one into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully, his mind reflecting on the events that had happened over the last few weeks. Even though he was the more responsible of the twins, it had been a lot to process. He sighed and rested tiredly against the couch. 

Willow nodded and popped the movie into the DVD player. She collapsed onto her couch and carefully opened her own bag of gummies.  
~~

In the background Neil and Andrew could hear the sounds of a movie playing. Good, they were keeping themselves occupied. They would have to do a lot more for who knew how long. Neil groaned and took a seat at the kitchen table, his face buried in his hands, while Andrew took over making lunch. There was silence between them for several minutes. The only sound came from Andrew stirring the pot of boiling noodles. 

“How could this have happened?” Neil finally said. 

Andrew shrugged. “Nothing we can really do about it except what the doctor suggests,” he said casually. 

“How can you remain so calm, Andrew?” Neil sat back; arms crossed. “How can you not be worried?”

Andrew turned sharply, flicks of hot water from the spoon flying across the room and landing on Neil’s arm. “Of course, I’m worried,” he hissed. “Mackenzie has cancer and the only person who can save him is our ten-year-old daughter. The only reason I’m so calm, as you so put it, is because if I start freaking out it’ll just make the situation worse. We need to be strong for them, Neil.” He pointed to the door and Neil knew he was indicating the twins. 

Neil was surprised by the sudden outburst . Andrew, normally, was a private person. He rarely showed anything, even towards Neil. Of course, Neil knew that Andrew loved the twins. He would do anything for them. But he was reserved in his affection, other than the odd hug or cuddle. So, this sudden display of emotions for the twins was a good step forward. Neil nodded. 

“You’re right…we need to make sure everything remains normal.” Neil smiled. “Oh, by the way, the water is boiling over,” he commented. 

Andrew spun on his heels. “Shit,” he swore and immediately turned down the heat. 

~~

Lunch was served a few minutes later. Andrew brought out two bowls of Macaroni and Cheese with hot dogs and placed them on their laps. He glanced at the movie option and scowled. 

“Space Jam? Really? Who bought you this shit movie?” He asked, grabbing the DVD case with the card. 

The card read: Get well soon. –Nicky, Erik and Aleksander. Of course it was Nicky’s idea to buy them this movie. Leave it to Nicky to choose a shit movie. He grunted and tossed the case back onto the table. The kids seemed to be enjoying it, so he would swallow his hatred for the film and watch it with them. He collapsed onto one of the beanbags and slouched. Minutes later, Neil entered with bowls for them. 

“Wow…you’re watching Space Jam, Andrew? I thought you hated his movie,” Neil said, taking the other bean bag chair. 

“You…” Andrew pointed threateningly with his spoon. “Shut up.” 

Neil chuckled and stuffed a spoonful into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully, looking at the twins with a loving smile, before swallowing. “By the way, Willow, you’re going back to school at the end of the weekend. You’ve already missed too much.” 

“What? But…I’m sick!” Willow whined. 

“Sick my ass. The doctor said all you needed was a couple days to rest. You’ll be fine,” Neil replied. 

Willow stuck out her tongue. 

“Best keep the tongue in your mouth,” Andrew mildly threatened. 

Immediately, her tongue slipped back in and she clasped a hand over her mouth. Andrew smirked and smiled slyly. 

“What about championships?” Mackenzie asked. 

“Championships aren’t until next weekend. Willow, you’ll be fine to go. Mackenzie we’re going to keep an eye on your health and make a decision by early next week,” Neil replied. 

“Yes!” Willow pumped her arms into the air and flopped back onto the couch, nearly spilling lunch. She gasped and grabbed the bowl just before it fell, smiling bashfully. 

Mackenzie pouted, crossing his arms. “This fucking sucks!” 

“Hey! Watch your mouth young man!” Neil snapped. 

“Andrew swears all the time!” Mackenzie argued. 

“Well, I can’t control what Andrew does,” Neil half-lied. 

Mackenzie pouted and crossed his arms, looking away. “That sucks,” he mumbled. 

“Now, finish you lunch. Then it’s another round of meds for you,” Neil instructed before continuing to eat himself. 

Chapter 7

The weekend came and went quickly. And, like clockwork, Willow was awoken at seven a.m.. She dressed and ate without complaint. Before she knew it, she was on the bus heading for school. She was not looking forward to it. Because most of her friends got driven to school, there was no one for her to talk to. So, Mackenzie and her would usually sit together and talk quietly amongst themselves. Today, she had to ride solo. Something that she hadn’t done in a long time. So, the bus felt daunting. 

Silently, she took a seat at the back of the bus, holding her backpack on her lap. Though the bus was only half full, it was already noisy. She slouched, trying to make herself as small as possible in order to not attract unwanted attention. Fortunately, no one paid her any mind. 

Once at the school Willow followed the kids off the bus and stood silently near the fence, watching as other students joyfully passed by her. She waited for the bell to ring with bated breath. The end of the day couldn’t come fast enough. Slowly, she slid to the ground and hugged her backpack, small tears filling her eyes. She missed Mackenzie so much right now. She buried her face into her backpack to hide the fact that she was crying. 

Finally, the morning bell rang and she filed into the school with the rest of the students. Her class was, as usual, busy. The room suddenly fell silent and heads turned as she entered the room with her binder and pencil case. She froze at the doorway, heart pounding. This was something that she was dreading. The class leapt into action again, this time surrounding her, everyone talking at once. 

“Willow!! Where have you been?” Someone from the crowd asked. 

“Where’s your brother?” Another asked. 

“Is he really sick?” Came another. 

“Of course, he is, stupid, why do you think he’s not here?” Another voice called. 

Willow could feel her breath come short, her heart speeding up, body shaking. She pressed her back against the wall. Suddenly, she felt like a caged animal. She glanced, worriedly, at the teacher; tears, again, springing to her eyes. There were too many voices; too many questions. Questions that she didn’t want to answer. 

“What does your brother have?” someone said. 

“Is it true that you gave him blood? Is he a Vampire?” A student asked.

“Don’t be stupid, there’s no such thing as Vampires,” someone argued. 

The teacher, Mrs. Williams, clapped her hands. Mrs. Williams was a young teacher. Willow figured that she was in her early thirties. She always kept her hair in a neat ponytail and always sported a pair of jeans and a neatly ironed dress shirt. To make things fun for the students, she always wore a different colour of converse running shoes. Today’s colour was neon pink. 

“Alright everyone, no more questions.” The students groaned and dispersed, returning to their seats in silence. “Welcome back Willow, your presence in the classroom was sorely missed.” She smiled warmly at Willow, motioning to her seat. 

Willow loved having Mrs. Williams as a teacher. She was firm but was always understanding and loving. She kept her eyes averted and slipped into her seat next to her friend, Nina. 

“Alright students, we’re going to be starting with some silent reading. So, please, bring out a book,” Mrs. Williams instructed. 

Without question the students pulled out their books. From her desk, Willow pulled out one of the Harry Potter books, reading silently at her desk. The rest of the morning went smoothly. Once the initial questions were out of the way, no one bothered Willow with anything, except only to ask to borrow something. Still, Willow remained silent for the morning, deciding to keep to herself rather than engage with anyone. The bell for lunch soon rang and the students all rushed out of the classroom, until Willow was the only left in the class. As she wandered over to the door, Mrs. Williams cleared her throat. 

“Willow, can we talk?” She asked. 

Willow nodded and wandered over to the desk, her arms dangled by her sides. 

“Your parents called me last week and informed me of what’s going on. I just want you to know that there’s no pressure in you completing your work. You do what you can, okay?” She said.

“Yes, Mrs. Williams,” Willow replied. 

“And if you need anything or need a break, please don’t hesitate to say anything to me, okay?” She continued. 

Willow nodded. “Yes, Mrs. Williams. Thank you,” she replied. 

She smiled at Willow. “Now, go and enjoy your lunch.” 

Willow walked silently out of the room, joining her friends at the lunch table out in the common area. 

The rest of the day was a blur. Willow just couldn’t seem to focus on anything in class. She would watch as people’s mouths moved, but nothing seemed to process mentally. The end of day bell was a blessing. Willow collected her belongings and hurried out the door before anyone could catch her. She didn’t wait and rushed onto the bus, taking her usual seat at the back. Again, she slouched, making sure to be the smallest person. 

She looked anxiously out the window and watched the streets go by. Even though the ride was only thirty minutes, it felt like forever. Her stop finally pulled up and she filed out with others. As usual, Neil was waiting for her outside. He smiled warmly at her. 

“Hey there kiddo,” he said. “How was school today?” 

Willow shrugged. “It was okay, I guess…” She said. 

“Were people nice?” He asked. 

“Yeah,” she replied.

“Did anything exciting happen?” Neil asked. 

“No,” was all Willow said.

Normally, Willow was chatty when it came to school. It was clear though that she felt a bit awkward about not going with her brother and that she didn’t want to talk about school. So, Neil left the issue. Instead, he took her backpack and they walked silently back to the house. Once inside, the two passed the living room, where Mackenzie was sleeping soundly. 

Willow was first in the kitchen and she immediately opened the fridge, grabbing a yogurt tube as Neil dropped her bag at the kitchen table. She gulped back her snack in minutes and took a seat, pulling out her homework. 

“Andrew and I have to leave for training in about fifteen minutes,” Neil explained. “So, we’re having Grandma Abby and Grandpa Wymack come over to babysit.Dinner’s already made. It's in the fridge.Go to bed on time.” 

This was the first time since Mackenzie’s diagnosis that Andrew and Neil had trained. Normally, Mackenzie and Willow would go with them to their team training. They would sit on the bleachers, do their homework, eat their dinner. Sometimes, they would even train alongside the team. But they couldn’t risk Mackenzie getting worse. So, Willow just nodded, accepting that, for a while, having Wymackand Abby come by would be the norm. 

There was a knock ten minutes later. Neil was the one who opened the door. “Wymack, Abby,” he said. 

“I’m not your fucking coach anymore Neil. I’m family,” came the gruff reply. “How many times do I have to say call me by my name.” 

“Sure thing, David,” Neil smirked. Willow looked around the kitchen corner and watched Neil shake Wymack’s hand firmly, and give Abby a quick hug. He looked over his shoulder, catching Willow’s eye. She gasped; her head darted back around the corner. She took a seat again, focusing on her homework. As the adults entered the kitchen, Abby and Wymack smiled at Willow. 

“Hey there Midget Mite,” Wymack said, ruffling her hair. 

“Hey Grandpa Wymack,” she replied. 

“So, like I told Willow, dinner’s in the fridge. Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and carrots, so all you need to do is toss it in the oven. Bed is at eight-thirty. Lights out by nine,” Neil explained. “We’ll be home by around ten. Thanks for doing this.” 

“Of course, Neil,” Abby said. “We have everything under control.” 

Neil walked to the door, grabbing his gear bag from the floor. “Andrew! Come on!” He called. 

Andrew shuffled from the basement, his bag over his shoulder. He silently stared at Abby and Wymack, giving them a silent salute before following Neil out the door. Soon, David had joined Willow in the kitchen, while Abby took a seat in the living room to watch over Mackenzie.


	7. Chapter 7

The weekend came and went quickly. And, like clockwork, Willow was awoken at seven a.m.. She dressed and ate without complaint. Before she knew it, she was on the bus heading for school. She was not looking forward to it. Because most of her friends got driven to school, there was no one for her to talk to. So, Mackenzie and her would usually sit together and talk quietly amongst themselves. Today, she had to ride solo. Something that she hadn’t done in a long time. So, the bus felt daunting. 

Silently, she took a seat at the back of the bus, holding her backpack on her lap. Though the bus was only half full, it was already noisy. She slouched, trying to make herself as small as possible in order to not attract unwanted attention. Fortunately, no one paid her any mind. 

Once at the school Willow followed the kids off the bus and stood silently near the fence, watching as other students joyfully passed by her. She waited for the bell to ring with bated breath. The end of the day couldn’t come fast enough. Slowly, she slid to the ground and hugged her backpack, small tears filling her eyes. She missed Mackenzie so much right now. She buried her face into her backpack to hide the fact that she was crying. 

Finally, the morning bell rang and she filed into the school with the rest of the students. Her class was, as usual, busy. The room suddenly fell silent and heads turned as she entered the room with her binder and pencil case. She froze at the doorway, heart pounding. This was something that she was dreading. The class leapt into action again, this time surrounding her, everyone talking at once. 

“Willow!! Where have you been?” Someone from the crowd asked. 

“Where’s your brother?” Another asked. 

“Is he really sick?” Came another. 

“Of course, he is, stupid, why do you think he’s not here?” Another voice called. 

Willow could feel her breath come short, her heart speeding up, body shaking. She pressed her back against the wall. Suddenly, she felt like a caged animal. She glanced, worriedly, at the teacher; tears, again, springing to her eyes. There were too many voices; too many questions. Questions that she didn’t want to answer. 

“What does your brother have?” someone said. 

“Is it true that you gave him blood? Is he a Vampire?” A student asked.

“Don’t be stupid, there’s no such thing as Vampires,” someone argued. 

The teacher, Mrs. Williams, clapped her hands. Mrs. Williams was a young teacher. Willow figured that she was in her early thirties. She always kept her hair in a neat ponytail and always sported a pair of jeans and a neatly ironed dress shirt. To make things fun for the students, she always wore a different colour of converse running shoes. Today’s colour was neon pink. 

“Alright everyone, no more questions.” The students groaned and dispersed, returning to their seats in silence. “Welcome back Willow, your presence in the classroom was sorely missed.” She smiled warmly at Willow, motioning to her seat. 

Willow loved having Mrs. Williams as a teacher. She was firm but was always understanding and loving. She kept her eyes averted and slipped into her seat next to her friend, Nina. 

“Alright students, we’re going to be starting with some silent reading. So, please, bring out a book,” Mrs. Williams instructed. 

Without question the students pulled out their books. From her desk, Willow pulled out one of the Harry Potter books, reading silently at her desk. The rest of the morning went smoothly. Once the initial questions were out of the way, no one bothered Willow with anything, except only to ask to borrow something. Still, Willow remained silent for the morning, deciding to keep to herself rather than engage with anyone. The bell for lunch soon rang and the students all rushed out of the classroom, until Willow was the only left in the class. As she wandered over to the door, Mrs. Williams cleared her throat. 

“Willow, can we talk?” She asked. 

Willow nodded and wandered over to the desk, her arms dangled by her sides. 

“Your parents called me last week and informed me of what’s going on. I just want you to know that there’s no pressure in you completing your work. You do what you can, okay?” She said.

“Yes, Mrs. Williams,” Willow replied. 

“And if you need anything or need a break, please don’t hesitate to say anything to me, okay?” She continued. 

Willow nodded. “Yes, Mrs. Williams. Thank you,” she replied. 

She smiled at Willow. “Now, go and enjoy your lunch.” 

Willow walked silently out of the room, joining her friends at the lunch table out in the common area. 

The rest of the day was a blur. Willow just couldn’t seem to focus on anything in class. She would watch as people’s mouths moved, but nothing seemed to process mentally. The end of day bell was a blessing. Willow collected her belongings and hurried out the door before anyone could catch her. She didn’t wait and rushed onto the bus, taking her usual seat at the back. Again, she slouched, making sure to be the smallest person. 

She looked anxiously out the window and watched the streets go by. Even though the ride was only thirty minutes, it felt like forever. Her stop finally pulled up and she filed out with others. As usual, Neil was waiting for her outside. He smiled warmly at her. 

“Hey there kiddo,” he said. “How was school today?” 

Willow shrugged. “It was okay, I guess…” She said. 

“Were people nice?” He asked. 

“Yeah,” she replied.

“Did anything exciting happen?” Neil asked. 

“No,” was all Willow said.

Normally, Willow was chatty when it came to school. It was clear though that she felt a bit awkward about not going with her brother and that she didn’t want to talk about school. So, Neil left the issue. Instead, he took her backpack and they walked silently back to the house. Once inside, the two passed the living room, where Mackenzie was sleeping soundly. 

Willow was first in the kitchen and she immediately opened the fridge, grabbing a yogurt tube as Neil dropped her bag at the kitchen table. She gulped back her snack in minutes and took a seat, pulling out her homework. 

“Andrew and I have to leave for training in about fifteen minutes,” Neil explained. “So, we’re having Grandma Abby and Grandpa Wymack come over to babysit.Dinner’s already made. It's in the fridge.Go to bed on time.” 

This was the first time since Mackenzie’s diagnosis that Andrew and Neil had trained. Normally, Mackenzie and Willow would go with them to their team training. They would sit on the bleachers, do their homework, eat their dinner. Sometimes, they would even train alongside the team. But they couldn’t risk Mackenzie getting worse. So, Willow just nodded, accepting that, for a while, having Wymack and Abby come by would be the norm. 

There was a knock ten minutes later. Neil was the one who opened the door. “Wymack, Abby,” he said. 

“I’m not your fucking coach anymore Neil. I’m family,” came the gruff reply. “How many times do I have to say call me by my name.” 

“Sure thing, David,” Neil smirked. Willow looked around the kitchen corner and watched Neil shake Wymack’s hand firmly, and give Abby a quick hug. He looked over his shoulder, catching Willow’s eye. She gasped; her head darted back around the corner. She took a seat again, focusing on her homework. As the adults entered the kitchen, Abby and Wymack smiled at Willow. 

“Hey there Midget Mite,” Wymack said, ruffling her hair. 

“Hey Grandpa Wymack,” she replied. 

“So, like I told Willow, dinner’s in the fridge. Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and carrots, so all you need to do is toss it in the oven. Bed is at eight-thirty. Lights out by nine,” Neil explained. “We’ll be home by around ten. Thanks for doing this.” 

“Of course, Neil,” Abby said. “We have everything under control.” 

Neil walked to the door, grabbing his gear bag from the floor. “Andrew! Come on!” He called. 

Andrew shuffled from the basement, his bag over his shoulder. He silently stared at Abby and Wymack, giving them a silent salute before following Neil out the door. Soon, David had joined Willow in the kitchen, while Abby took a seat in the living room to watch over Mackenzie.


	8. Chapter 8

Another two weeks went by swiftly, and again, the twins prepared themselves for yet another Blood Transfusion. The second one in over a month and a half time period. This time, the procedure was in the mid-afternoon. Which meant that they had to skip breakfast and lunch. So, by the time they got to the hospital their stomachs growled loudly. 

Willow and Mackenzie followed the same routine as before. They were led into a small, private room. A curtain pulled across to give them privacy to change. They dressed into the same, uncomfortable blue hospital gowns and laid back onto their rolling beds. Thomas soon entered, with his usual smile. 

“Hey! It’s my favourite set of twins!” He cheered, giving them his usual high five. “How’s it going you two?” 

Willow smiled. “Hey Thomas….” She glanced at her brother. 

“You two ready?” He asked. 

“As ready as we’ll ever be,” Mackenzie replied. 

The two watched as their IVs were prepared. The nurses worked silently and efficiently. As usual, Mackenzie was first. There was a slight flinch as the needle was stuck into his arm. Next was Willow. She glanced away, her arm resting lazily on the bed. She took a short gasp as she felt a pinch. Everything was easy after their first procedure . At least she knew what to expect now. Again, they were pushed out of the room and down the silent halls again and into the operation room. And, again, the room went dark. 

~~

This was their life. Blood Transfusion, eat, sleep, repeat. This happened for two whole months. Now, it was late October and the twins, especially Mackenzie, were now exhausted. Fortunately, the Transfusions were put on pause in order for a routine checkup. 

The family drove to the hospital, once again, after Willow’s Exy practice. The previous season had been a mix bag. The Colombia Cardinals had lost the Championship game to the Summerhill Spartans, but not by much, only 4 to 3. That had been the closest game that Willow had ever played in. Neil was impressed. Despite losing the game, Willow had been offered a spot on one of the pre-teen level teams. The coach for the Blythewood Blackhawks had been impressed with Willow’s skills on the court and had offered a position as one of his spare Strikers for the team. She had agreed full heartedly. It wasn’t that bad of a drive either. Only twenty-four minutes. So, Neil and Andrew were more than happy to drive. 

As they drove to the hospital, the sky began to cloud over. The news had said that there were going to be thunderstorms. Strangely, the twins loved thunderstorms. Even when they were little. When most children would run in fear of the thunder, the twins would just become more energetic. As they drove into the parking lot, flecks of water began to fall from the sky. Willow and Mackenzie cheered from the backseat as they scrambled out of the car. 

“Willow! Mackenzie! Let me get…” Neil couldn’t even finish his sentence. 

The twins were out the door and running through the parking lot just as the rain began to pour. Neil scowled. He certainly hoped they liked being cold because there were no extra clothes for either of them. And there was no way he was going to give his coat to either of them. If they wanted to be stupid, they could. From the back seat, Neil grabbed two umbrellas, handing one to Andrew. They followed the twins silently into the hospital where they were greeted by the nurses with enthusiasm. 

“Hey! It’s the MJ twins!” One cried, giving them both fist bumps. “Wassup you rascals?” 

The twins shrugged. “Just chillin’!” Willow replied. 

“Hey you two! What do you call a bear with no teeth?” Another nurse asked them, with a grin. They only shrugged. “A gummy bear!” 

The twins tried so hard to keep a straight face. But, couldn’t help it. They burst into laughter. Neil and Andrew looked unamused at their children before herding them down the hall and into the Children’s Ward. A place that was all too familiar to them. 

“Hang tight here you two. We’re going to meet up with Doctor Roberts. We’ll be back in a bit,” Neil explained, handing them each their lunch boxes with snacks. 

The twins hardly noticed them leaving. Instead, interested in what snacks Neil had packed them for the day. 

~~

Again, Neil and Andrew made their way to Doctor Roberts office, taking a seat across from her. There was a moment of silence as she reviewed Mackenzie’s charts. Finally, she looked up and cleared her throat. 

“There’s good news and bad news,” she said. 

“Good news first,” Neil replied. 

“The good news is that the blood transfusions have been successful. His blood count has increased exponentially,” she explained, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. 

“And the bad news?” Neil asked. 

“Bad news is that we’ve noticed some changes to the cancer in his kidney. Seems that there’s been a bit of growth to the cancerous cells. So, we will need to start Chemotherapy as soon as possible. In order to do that we need to do a Bone Marrow Transplant ,” she explained. 

“What would that mean?” Neil said. 

“There are two ways for Mackenzie to get his surgery. The first one requires him to wait for a donor match. Typically, the wait for a match is up to three months,” she explained. 

“Is there a way for us to not wait so long?” He asked. 

“There is. This brings me to the second way for him to find a donor. Research has shown that there is a 1 in 4 chance of a sibling being a bone marrow match. So, what that would mean is that we would have to test Willow and see if she could potentially give Mackenzie bone marrow,” she replied. 

“After that, how long would we have to wait for surgery? ” He asked. 

“Not long. The results from the test would take about one to three weeks. Then we could immediately book his surgery,” she explained. 

Neil tensed and glanced at his partner. Andrew had casually rested a foot on the chair and crossed his arms. His entire posture told Neil that he wasn’t impressed. But this surgery could potentially help Mackenzie. His gaze returned to Doctor Roberts. 

“May we have some time to talk?” Neil asked. 

She nodded and got to her feet. “I need to do rounds anyway. I can be back in twenty minutes,” she said. 

“That would be great, thank you,” Neil replied. 

He watched her leave before getting up, leaning against her desk. He casually crossed his arms, crossing one ankle over the other. Andrew glared angrily at Neil. He knew that look all too well. But the conversation had to be had. He pinched the bridge of his nose trying to collect his thoughts. Sometimes, dealing with Andrew was such a pain. There was rarely a chance to talk sense into him. 

“Andrew, before you say anything, I need you to listen to me,” Neil said harshly. 

Andrew shrugged, indicating that he would allow Neil to speak. 

“Andrew, I understand that you don’t want Willow to donate more than she has too. I get that. She’s my daughter too. I often worry that we’re asking too much of her,” he began. “So far we’ve been really lucky. The cancer has kept to just the one kidney, but who knows how far it will spread if we wait months for a Bone Marrow Transplant.” 

Already he could feel tears pricking his eyes. He was more than just scared. He was terrified. He knew that Willow was getting tired of all the donating. But he didn’t want to lose Mackenzie either. Andrew and Neil had already lost enough family. 

“We need to act now if we want Mackenzie to survive,” he explained. “Please…consider,” he begged, a single tear rolled down his cheek. 

Andrew was quiet. He stared blankly at Neil, his arm casually resting on his knee. Moments later, he pushed himself up, off his chair, and reached up to wipe the tear away from Neil’s cheek. He didn’t smile, instead he stared lovingly into Neil’s eyes. 

“I may not agree with it but, if you think it’s important then we should do it,” he said, pulling Neil into a simple embrace. They pulled away. Andrew smirked. “By the way, crying doesn’t suit you,” he muttered, kissing him gently. 

Neil laughed and kissed Andrew again. 

Minutes later, Doctor Roberts entered her office. Andrew pulled away, embarrassed, and took his seat again. Neil faced her. 

“We’ve come to a decision,” he explained. “We’re going to encourage Willow to allow you to do the test and do the surgery.” 

She nodded. “Right…” She took a seat and turned to face her computer. There was silence in the room. No doubt she was checking her schedule. “We have an opening in a week and a half, on a Saturday at 3:00 for the bone marrow test. Does that work for you?” She asked. 

Neil checked his schedule and nodded. “It should work. Thank you, Doctor.” He shook her hand warmly and left with Andrew.


	9. Chapter 9

It took days of convincing Willow. Promises of new video games, of movie dates alone with Andrew, her favourite meals for a week, no chores for a month. They knew it was a lot to ask of Willow. And they knew that it was unfair of them to ask her. But it needed to be done. Finally, she had agreed to the Bone Marrow Transplant test and the surgery. And just in time too. 

The time flew by and the day of Willow’s test finally came. Neil had taken Willow to the hospital for the Bone Marrow test. As Willow dressed, it was explained that on top of some standard tests, she would also be undergoing a Bone Marrow Biopsy where they would be opening her up and getting a sample of her tissue. They nodded. After dressing in the usual hospital gown Willow was taken for her first round of tests. 

First, the doctor took another sample of her blood. The doctor then swabbed the inside of her mouth. Both tests were immediately sent down to the hospital's lab. 

Before she could leave Willow was laid out onto the small examination bed for the Biopsy portion of the test. Doctor Roberts gently lifted Willow’s hospital gown and cleaned a small area of her lower back. Willow felt pressure as a local anesthetic was placed in her back. 

“Willow, I’m going to make a small incision and then you feel some pressure as we take the sample we need, okay?” She asked. 

“Okay,” she replied. 

Willow didn’t feel the incision being made. She felt a slight, uncomfortable pressure as the needle was slipped into the bone and the sample was drawn and gasped. The test didn’t take very long after that. Willow was soon stitched up and was returned to Neil before returning home.

~~

The results of the tests didn’t take long after that, only a week. Not surprising Willow was a match for Mackenzie. With that, Neil immediately booked the surgery. 

By the time they were able to get the surgery it was now November. Thanksgiving was just around the corner and decorations lined the halls of the hospital. Small statues of pioneers sat on the reception counters, decorated pumpkins lined the halls, festive balloons and streamers hung from the ceiling, plastic pictures of turkeys hung on the walls. Since their family never really celebrated big holiday like Thanksgiving, they found it all rather confusing. 

The twins knew where to go by now. Behind them Neil and Andrew walked, hand-in-hand, with small duffle bags over their shoulders with enough stuff to last them at least a week. Willow would probably be home in a week. Mackenzie, on the other hand, was a different story. They weren’t sure how long he would need to stay. 

Because they had missed Willow’s usual training session, they had arrived several hours early. So, they were first taken to their usual room in the Children’s Ward to get settled. Willow took her duffle and promptly dumped it onto the bed, sorting through her belongings, stuffing her clothes into drawers. Meanwhile, Mackenzie neatly took out everything and placed his own clothes neatly away in his own set of drawers. Finally, Willow and Mackenzie sat on their beds, each of them holding a stuffed animal. Willow held a stuffed pug, while Mackenzie held a stuffed sloth. It was clear that they were nervous. 

“It’s been a while since you two have shared a room, huh?” Neil chuckled. 

“Yeah, and I don’t like it,” Willow commented. “It’s so uncool to have to share a room with your brother. I mean, we’re ten!” 

“I know, but you two were so damn cute when you shared a room,” Neil commented. “You were damn cute in general. And you both would do the stupidest things. There was this one time, I think you were about three, you and your brother decided to strip down to nothing and ran around the house naked…god I think we had Wymack and Abby over that day.” 

“Neil!” Willow cried. 

Andrew smirked. “And then there was that time when Willow dressed Mackenzie up in one of her dresses and painted his face with markers, trying to pass him off as her long lost sister, Willamina. That was when they were six.” 

“Andrew!” Mackenzie yelled. 

Neil and Andrew burst into laughter. “And then…” Neil paused to catch his breath. “There was that time Willow got stuck in the toilet because she thought she didn’t need to use the toilet seat!” 

“And Mackenzie fucking using Willow’s toothbrush to wash his feet!” Andrew wiped away tears. 

The twins flushed red with embarrassment. It wasn’t amusing that their parents were getting a laugh at their expense. They scowled and crossed their arms, watching Neil and Andrew laugh. Andrew and Neil finally stopped and wiped away tears from their eyes. They glanced at the twins and burst into laughter again. Neil raised his phone and snapped a few quick pictures. 

“Going to have to text Renee this,” he said, nudging Andrew. 

Andrew chuckled; a smile plastered across his face. The twins gasped. 

“You wouldn’t!” Mackenzie cried in alarm. 

“We would, and we are,” Andrew laughed. 

The twins watched in horror as Neil pressed send on his phone with a smirk. “And, sent.” He slipped his phone back into his pocket and crossed his arms casually. 

“You two are awful,” Willow muttered. 

Before either of them could say anything else to Willow, Thomas stepped into the room. His usual smile plastered on his face. Today, he sported a scrub cap decorated with corgis with crowns on their head. He knelt across their beds. 

“Like the cap?” He asked. “Decided to go for something more Royal today. What do you think?” 

“I don’t get it,” Willow replied. 

He pointed to the dogs on his scrub cap. “Corgis are the Queen's dogs in England. She’s famous for having like five of them,” he explained. 

“Oh…I see,” Willow looked at her brother. 

Thomas cleared his throat. “So, today, we’re going to be doing an Allogenic Transplant. What that means is that we’re going to be taking cells from a donor, meaning you Willow, and putting it into your body, Mackenzie.” 

“Is it going to hurt?” Mackenzie asked. 

“There’s going to be slight pain when you wake up. And you may get some nausea and a fever. But we’ll be monitoring your condition over the next week,” Thomas explained. “We’re going to be preparing you the same way we’d prepare you for one of your blood transfusions.” 

Willow and Mackenzie nodded. From two plastic bags, Thomas pulled out their hospital gowns and pulled a curtain across the room. 

“I’ll be back in a bit with a set of rolling beds. Then, we can get you prepared for the surgery.” He quickly left the room. 

It was the same routine they had done half a dozen times. Again, they dressed in silence. By the time they had finished changing, Thomas had returned, with another nurse, and two rolling beds. They walked over and were helped into the beds. 

“Alright, let’s rock this,” Thomas said. “Autobots, roll out.” He chuckled at his own joke. 

The two were wheeled through the halls. Neil and Andrew following close behind them. As they made their way to the operation rooms, Willow could feel butterflies in her stomach. This was a huge commitment. She glanced at her brother, who seemed to have the same nervous look on his face. She could tell that he was just as nervous. Along the way, doctors and nurses gave them high-fives and words of encouragement, which made them both feel a bit better. 

Once again, they paused at the large double doors that lead to the operating rooms. The twins stared up. Mackenzie reached for Willow’s hand and squeezed it gently. Andrew positioned himself between the beds and pulled the two in for a small hug. He didn’t need to talk to tell them that he loved them and wanted the best for them. Willow suddenly burst into tears and reached for Andrew, who instinctively picked her up. He stepped aside, leaving Neil to spend some time with Mackenzie. 

“What’s up brat?” He asked. 

“I don’t want to do this anymore. I don’t want to go,” she blubbered through tears. 

“Hey, brat…if you can stand your ground against Backliners, all of whom are way bigger than you, you can do this. You’re a Minyard. And Minyards never back down from a fight,” he whispered in her ear with a smile. 

Willow nodded and wiped her tears away. She sniffed. Andrew was right. She could do it. And she would do it. The two returned to Neil and Mackenzie. Willow was slipped back into her bed again. Silently, Andrew took Mackenzie aside, whispering in his ear. Neil knelt and rested Willow’s head on his shoulder, wiping the rest of her tears with his shirt. Gently, he kissed Willow’s head before glancing at Andrew and Mackenzie. He had made Mackenzie laugh about something. And now both were smiling. Andrew certainly would do anything for his kids. That was for sure. 

When the two returned, the twins were finally ready to head off. Andrew and Neil watched as they passed through the double doors. Mackenzie took his sister's hand again and smiled. They would be okay. 

As usual, they were taken down the silent hallway. No one looked up from their work as they wandered through the halls. Doctors and nurses whispered to each other as usual. They passed rooms where sleeping patients still rested . Soon, they turned into their own room and were transitioned onto another set of beds. The twins watched in silence as their IVs were prepared. They didn’t even flinch as they were inserted into their arms. Doctor Roberts approached with her usual smile. 

“Hey you two. Are you ready to get started?” She asked. 

“Yes,” Mackenzie replied, for the both of them. 

“Okay. Then let’s begin.” Doctor Roberts turned to her staff. “Let’s start by putting them both down,” she instructed. 

Two nurses stepped up and slipped the masks over their faces. “Okay, as usual, take several deep breaths and count back from ten,” one nurse explained. 

Mackenzie took his sister’s hand again. “Ten….nine….eight…” They said in unison. Slowly their eyes began to droop. “Seven…six…five…four…” They didn’t even manage to finish before they both fell asleep. 

~~

In what only felt like seconds the two were awake again, waiting in the recovery room. Willow groaned. As she continued to awaken, she began to feel a slight discomfort in her lower torso. She flopped her head to the side and found the same bruising on her forearm from where they slipped in the IVShe attempted to raise her arm but found that she was too tired to lift it. She flopped her head to the other side of the bed to look at her brother. It seemed that he was in the same boat. Mackenzie groaned as well and attempted to lift his arm. He gave a painful gasp and kept his arm on the bed. As the minutes passed, the anesthesia finally began to wear off. Suddenly, their teeth began to rattle again. 

A nurse walked over. “Hey there,” she said with a smile as she covered them both with heated blankets. “Do you two need anything?” She asked. 

It took time for them to process what she had said as their minds were still a big foggy. Finally, Mackenzie shook the fog off. “Uh…do you think we could get a drink of water?” He croaked. 

“Of course.” She left and returned a few minutes later with two glasses. 

“Thank you,” Mackenzie said. He brought the glass to his lips and tipped it. Before he knew it, a quarter of his water was on his shirt. 

Willow laughed. “What are you? Clumsy?” She asked hoarsely. 

“Like you could do any better,” Mackenzie replied. 

“Watch me!” Willow replied and smiled. 

Willow tipped her glass carefully towards her mouth. Only to find that she spilled almost half her glass. Mackenzie burst into laughter. Willow frowned at her brother before following suit. Their high-pitched chuckles filled the room. The nurses watched happily as they laughed. 

~~

In the waiting room, Neil and Andrew waited on bated breath. The minutes felt like hours as they waited. In the distance, a hospital clocked ticked annoyingly. Andrew grit his teeth and clenched and unclenched his hand repeatedly. Finally, he pushed himself to his feet, pulling out his package of cigarettes from his pockets. 

“I’m going out for a smoke. I can’t wait any longer,” he muttered, turning for the door. 

Just as he turned, someone cleared their throat. Andrew looked over his shoulder to find Doctor Roberts. Finally, Andrew thought, took her long enough. He stood next to Neil; his arms crossed. She smiled sweetly. 

“Everything went very well,” she said. “The procedure went smoothly and Willow and Mackenzie will be heading out of recovery very soon. We’ll be keeping both here for the next week, just to make sure that the stem cells take and to make sure there are no complications.” 

“Thank you so much doctor,” Neil said, shaking her hand warmly. “Andrew and I both really appreciate it. May we go and meet them in their room?” 

“Of course.” She nodded, quickly shaking their hands, before returning to her duties. 

Neil glanced at Andrew, before motioning his head for his partner to follow. Both were relieved that the surgery went well.


	10. Chapter 10

The week went by slowly for the twins. The hospital was mind-numbingly boring. When they weren’t in routine check-ups with Doctor Roberts and nurses, they were in their room sleeping or watching movies. To keep them occupied, Neil and Andrew would bring daily homework from school for them to do. The homework was a mixed bag. On the one hand, the two of them were glad to have something to keep their minds occupied. On the other hand, neither of them wanted to do homework while they were stuck in the hospital. But, they did it without complaint. 

Finally, they were allowed to go home. As the twins packed their duffle bags with enthusiasm Andrew and Neil were taken aside by Doctor Roberts, her face serious. She placed a large bottle of Tylenol 3 into Neil’s hand. 

“Please monitor Mackenzie’s pain over the next little bit and keep track of any additional unusual behaviour. If anything happens come straight to the hospital,” she instructed. 

“Of course,” Neil replied. Fortunately, Neil had programmed the hospital's number into his phone and put them on speed dial. 

Before they could even return to the room, Willow and Mackenzie rushed by them, in wheelchairs, and speeded, almost dangerously, through the halls. Their laughs echoing behind them. Neil gave Doctor Roberts an apologetic look before the two of them followed after the twins. At the front door, Nurses helped the twins out from their wheelchairs. 

“See you later, you two,” one said, with a smile. 

“Later,” Willow said. 

Once out of the wheelchairs, Willow and Mackenzie rushed to the car, yanking impatiently on the door handles. 

“Hey you fucking monsters, stop that before you fucking break something,” Andrew yelled, mockingly shaking his fist in the air. 

Both knew that Andrew didn’t mean any of his threats towards them, so just dangled from the car handles. Smiles were cheekily plastered across their faces. When the doors opened Willow and Mackenzie jumped in. 

“The first thing I’m going to do, when I get home, is have a nice bubble bath,” Willow said enthusiastically, the seatbelt clicking into its holder. 

“I’m going to make myself a giant snack! Maybe pizza!” Mackenzie said, clicking his own seatbelt into place. “The hospital food was good on the first day. Then the food just got worse as the week went on. Even worse than Andrew’s cooking. And that’s saying something.” 

“You know, you two have big mouths for such small people,” Andrew said, as he began the drive home. 

“I wonder where they got that from,” Neil replied, glancing at Andrew. 

“I assure you I have no idea what you’re talking about…” Andrew replied flatly. 

“Sure you don’t,” Neil smirked. 

Willow and Mackenzie both giggled in the back of the car, their hands covering their mouths. Neil smiled, glad to see both of them happy. Andrew rolled his eyes. The rest of the drive involved the twins talking about how boring their experience at the hospital was. The movies weren’t interesting, the kids were too loud, the activities were either lame or childish. Finally, they made it home and unpacked the car. 

The twins hurried into the house. Just as they were about to make their way to their bedrooms, they skidded to a stop. There were piles of gifts and cards sitting on the living room table. They dropped their bags in the hall and ran into the living room. 

“Are these for us?” Willow asked. 

“Yeah,” Neil replied. 

“Can we check them out now?” Mackenzie asked with a smile. 

“Bags first,” Neil instructed. 

There was a resounding groan as the kids shuffled back and dragged their bags back to their rooms. When that was done, they finally took a seat amongst the gifts and explored them. Their eyes were drawn to two colourful bags. The tags read that they were sent by Renee, and her daughter Regan. Smiles spread across their faces as they pulled out the tissue paper. Renee had sent them each a teddy bear, dressed in gold and red, for her team the Henrietta Hawks. The kids held them close and smiled. They reached in for the bags again, each pulling out a bag of their favourite candy. Reese's Mini Peanut Butter Cups for Willow and Gummy Worms for Mackenzie. Out of everyone they knew, Renee always knew what they liked most. 

As they sorted through the rest of the gifts, Willow couldn’t help but notice the increasing pile for Mackenzie. Of course, people like Abby and David, Nicky and Erik, Allison, Dan and Matt, each gave them a gift. But friends and teammates seemed to have solely just given gifts to her brother. She bit her lip, feeling an increasing amount of jealousy as Mackenzie continued to open things. Neil couldn’t help but notice and took Willow aside. 

“Willow, everything okay?” He asked. 

“Yup!” Willow lied, smiling. 

“Willow Andrea Minyard-Josten,” Neil said. “I know when you’re lying.” 

The dreaded full name. Willow knew that Neil was serious when he used her full name. She narrowed her eyes and scowled, clenching her hands into fists. She hated the fact that Neil could easily read her. 

“Fine, I’m not okay. It’s not fair that Mackenzie gets all these gifts and I don’t,” she snapped. 

Neil took a deep breath. He predicted this would happen. “I know. But, Mackenzie’s just…” 

“Just what?” Willow yelled. “What’s Mackenzie going through?” 

By now, Andrew and Mackenzie had stopped what they were doing, their eyes fixed on Neil and Willow. Neil had to choose his words carefully. He paused thoughtfully. 

“He’s going through a lot,” he replied. 

“I am too! I matter too, you know!” Willow cried, getting angrily to her feet. 

“No one’s saying that you don’t matter,” Neil said. 

“They don’t have to say anything. Their actions do!” Willow yelled, motioning angrily at Mackenzie’s pile of gifts. 

Neil puffed out his cheeks and rubbed his face. Willow was angry. And she had every right to be angry. Essentially Willow was being used as a designer child. Forced to give her brother everything he needed to survive because she was the closest genetic match. Yet, people only remembered the person with cancer and forgot those who helped. Neil understood why Willow thought it was unfair. 

Neil was at a loss for words. What could he say to Willow that would make her feel better? He sighed and placed a hand on her arm. She pulled away angrily and scowled. 

“Don’t touch me!” She snapped and stormed to her room. “I hate this family!” Was all she said before storming to her room and slamming the door behind her. 

Neil pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed as the door slammed. She was definitely Andrew’s daughter. As if on cue, Andrew quietly walked in and stood behind Neil, his hands in his pockets.


	11. Chapter 11

The months flew by and, for the most part, Willow’s contributions to Mackenzie’s health were done. Still, Mackenzie had to go to the hospital once a week for five months for regular chemotherapy sessions and routine check-ups. And, even though it seemed to improve things, there were also many drawbacks. Because his immune system was still compromised the family now had to make sure that they had to use separate cutlery for serving meals and for eating. He was now vomiting more after meals. He now bruised more easily, so playful wrestling was now off limits. Even Exy was off limits for him. He had terribly dry skin and was constantly rubbing medicinal hand cream all over his skin. But at least he was getting better. 

His health had improved so much that his doctor had even given him permission to leave town for the Easter weekend. Because Neil and Andrew had a game in Florida, Mackenzie and Willow needed to stay with Wymack and Abby. Wymack and Abby were the closest thing the twins had to grandparents, so, of course, they were always spoiled when they stayed over. As such, the two were always excited to stay with them. 

The drive from Columbia to Palmetto wasn’t that bad. Just over an hour. The door opened just as the car pulled into the driveway. Abby’s smiling face greeted them at the door. Willow and Mackenzie jumped out of the car, grabbing their duffle bags from the trunk. They hurried over and smiled up at Abby. 

“Grandma Abby!” They cried in unison. 

She hugged them both, planting kisses on their cheeks before allowing them inside. Neil and Andrew slipped out of the car. Neil smiled up at Abby and approached, his arms open for a hug. Meanwhile, Andrew decided to stay in the driveway, a cigarette dangled from his mouth. 

“Thanks for taking them this weekend,” Neil said. 

“Oh, it’s absolutely no problem Neil. You know that,” she replied, placing a hand on his shoulder. “David is still at the school wrapping up some things for the new players joining the Foxes. We’re getting some interesting new players. There’s one player who’s coming in who’s a teen mother.” 

“How is that going to work?” Neil asked, crossing his arms. 

“Apparently, the child will be living with the grandparents for the school year,” Abby replied. She shrugged. “I feel sorry for the child, to be honest.” 

Neil didn’t respond. Instead, he only smiled. “Well, we better get going. We booked the last flight going to Miami tonight and it leaves at eleven. And the traffic is terrible out there.” 

“Good luck at the game. We’ll be watching tomorrow,” Abby said, waving. 

“Say hi to Wymack for us,” Neil said as he slipped back into the car. 

“I will. Have fun you two and stay safe,” she said, waving from the porch. 

Andrew flicked his unfinished cigarette away and slipped into the driver’s seat, just as Neil slipped beside him. The car pulled out of the driveway and drove off at alarming speed away. Abby shook her head. Andrew would never change. 

She reentered the house. Already, the twins had made themselves comfortable. Their bags on the floor beside her couches. Electronics and clothes already spilling out. The twins had flopped onto the couch. It was like she had the monsters all over again. 

“You two hungry?” She asked. “Dinner won’t be for a while but I can make you a snack.” 

“That would be awesome Grandma Abby, thanks!” Willow said with a smile. 

Abby noticed that there was no “please” in that sentence. But she wasn’t surprised. Andrew utterly despised that word. So, it was no surprise that he didn’t train his children to use it. It was fine. The kids always conveyed their politeness by tone.   
From the cupboard she grabbed crackers and peanut butter. She laid out ten crackers each on a plate. She knew of Mackenzie’s eating needs so she dabbed a tiny bit of peanut butter on each cracker, making sure to use a clean knife for each twin. She carried the plates out and placed them in front of the twins. By the time they had their snacks, they had already figured out the television and were now watching something on Netflix. 

“Listen up you two, Neil and Andrew sent a schedule for you both. I heard that you both have homework to complete over the weekend.” She glanced at her phone and pulled up Neil’s email. “According to your schedules, you’ll be doing an hour of language and an hour of math before lunch.” She paused. “After lunch, Willow, you will be doing a project on Ancient Greece, where you’re working on a research project on Heracules. And Mackenzie, you’ll be working on a science project on animal habitats, you’re doing…Foxes?” Really? Abby thought. He couldn’t have done it on another animal? “Anyways, after working on your various projects for an hour David will be taking you out for a modified gym lesson.” 

The twins groaned. Of course, Neil had organized their weekend. Neil was no fun. Abby chuckled. 

“Don’t worry. You’ll only be doing homework until about two o’clock. That leaves the rest of the day for you to have fun,” Abby said. 

The door opened a few minutes later as David walked through the door. The twins leaned their heads back to look, their crackers dangled from their mouths. He casually glanced at them. 

“Hey look, seems we have gotten ourselves a couple of midget mites,” he said with a smile. 

The twins smiled, and simultaneously, popped their crackers into their mouths, chewing happily. 

“Hey Grandpa Wymack,” they said with their mouths full. 

David placed his bag on the floor and walked into the living room, ruffling their hair before taking a seat, resting his hands on his chest. He wondered what they were watching on Netflix. Willow informed him that it was some show called How to Train Your Dragon: Riders of Berk. 

“What is this crap? Why are you even watching this?” He asked. 

“We’re ten,” Mackenzie replied. 

“And it was either this or My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,” Willow explained, popping another cracker into her mouth. 

Wymack couldn’t argue with that. So, he watched in silence with the twins. And he had to admit, parts of the show were genuinely good. It even made him laugh on occasion. Eventually, Abby called him into the kitchen to help with dinner preparations. He groaned as he pushed himself off the chair and wandered into the kitchen. 

“So, what’s for dinner?” He asked. 

“Quesadillas,” Abby replied, grabbing a pan from the cupboard. She glanced at David. “How are they doing?” She asked. 

“They seem to be doing alright in there,” he replied, grabbing the spatula from its drawer. 

Abby became thin lipped as her eyes wandered to the door. Laughter could be heard from the other room. She knew that they were just putting on a brave face. David’s hand paused on the fridge door and glanced at Abby. He knew that look well. Something was bothering her. 

“What’s wrong,Abby?” He asked, crossing his arms and leaning on the fridge. 

“Oh, you know I worry about them. We’re the closest they have to grandparents, David.” She paused and sighed. “They’ve gone through so much these last few months. It must be so hard on those two as well as Neil and Andrew. I wish there was more we could do for them,” she said. 

Wymacknodded. Andrew and Neil would never admit it, but he knew that it was difficult for them to see their children go through this. Both of them were very family oriented and would do anything for their children. He walked to Abby and placed a hand on her shoulder. 

“We’re doing everything we can do for them, Abby. I think if we continue to support them and make life as normal as possible for Willow and Mackenzie, they’ll be appreciative,” he said. “Now, what do we need for those quesadillas?” He asked, just loud enough for the twins to hear it from the other room. 

“Wooo! Mexican food!” Willow cried. 

Abby laughed as she wiped away a couple of tears. “I need the boneless chicken, red and green peppers and onions,” she said, grabbing the spices from the spice rack. 

~~

Saturday morning finally came and the twins were awoken by the smell of hot chocolate coming from the kitchen. They got up and shuffled, tiredly, into the kitchen, rubbing their eyes. They took seats at the table. 

“Good morning you two, sleep well?” Abby asked with a smile. 

She placed two mugs on the table full of hot chocolate, steam slowly rose from them. Willow wasn’t much of a morning person and just grunted a response, taking a sip from her mug. Mackenzie smiled. 

“Oh, we slept well, for the most part,” he replied, before taking his own sip from his mug. 

“I’m so glad to hear it. Breakfast is not going to be anything special, just cereal,” Abby explained, pulling down a box of Raisin Bran. 

She placed it on the table and went to grab bowls. As the door to the cupboard closed Willow and Mackenzie couldn’t help but notice a family sized box of Coco Puffs. They absolutely loved Coco Puffs. There was always a box of the sugary goodness in their house, despite Neil’s protests. 

“Hey! Can we have the Coco Puffs instead?” Willow asked. 

It seemed that Abby was busted. “Can’t fool you two, can I?” She said with a smile. 

It seemed that the twins had developed Andrew’s massive sweet tooth. Again, the cupboard opened and she brought down the box of Coco Puffs. She placed milk, bowls and spoons on the table. She watched both kids pour themselves their cereal. They ate with gusto and it was nice to see such enthusiasm. As the two finished their breakfast, Wymack shuffled silently into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. 

“Good morning,” Abby said, placing a bowl on the table for him. 

“Not yet,” David replied, taking his first sip of coffee. 

The twins jumped to their feet. “Can we watch one episode of our show before starting our homework?” They pleaded. 

“One episode. Then you get started on your homework, no complaints,” Abby warned. 

They nodded enthusiastically and ran off into the other room. Within minutes, the television was on. They certainly didn’t waste any time. Abby and David ate in silence with the show providing the only background sounds. It was another twenty minutes before they finished. As they wrapped up their meal, Abby poked her head into the other room. 

“Alright, time to start your homework,” she called. 

The twins groaned. “But…” Mackenzie said.

“No “buts.” You said one episode and then no complaints when it came to starting your homework,” Abby said, raising a finger. 

“But…” Willow continued. 

Wymack walked to the door and crossed his arms. “Abby said no “buts.” If I hear that word one more time, I’ll have you do laps today for your gym class,” he threatened. 

Of course, Wymack’s threats were always meaningless. Still, there was the slight chance that he would make them do laps. And that was something that they didn’t want to risk. So, they grabbed their backpacks and pulled out their work. They spent the first hour doing language. Nothing special. Their teachers expected them to read for twenty minutes and write a short journal entry about what they read. The last twenty minutes were spent working on grammar pages. Fortunately, a fifteen-minute break was given to them before they transitioned to math, where they both worked on finding the area and perimeter of irregular shapes. As always, Mackenzie was much better at that than Willow was. Finally, lunch came, which was a relief. 

They ate the left-over quesadillas for lunch. Abby watched them eat in silence, noting that Mackenzie seemed a bit tired. “You doing okay, Mackenzie?” She asked. 

“I’m tired all of a sudden,” he admitted. 

“Do you want to lie down?” She asked. 

Mackenzie nodded and wandered back into the living room to rest, Abby following close behind. This left Willow alone to eat. But she had gotten used to this. She finished her meal and wandered back into the living room where Abby was now covering her brother with a blanket. She frowned. It seemed he was done with his work for the day. She took a seat at the table again and began her work again. She opened her laptop and, with help from Abby, was able to get onto the internet to research Heracles. She worked in silence. Still, she found that her eyes wandered over to her brother as he slept soundly on one of the couches. The hour passed quickly and before Willow knew it Wymack had entered the room. 

“Alright, time for some gym,” he said, clapping his hands. 

At the sound of his voice, Mackenzie slowly awoke and sat up. He groaned and tenderly rubbed his back. Meanwhile, Willow looked down at her homework, realizing that she hadn’t got much done. The twins got to their feet and grabbed their shoes before following Wymack to the back door. The backyard was quite large, and was divided into two, with three large, wood fences surrounding it. The front half of the yard was covered in newly growing grass. Resting along the fences were rows of flowers—Tulips, Bleeding Hearts, Roses and Lilacs—at the end of the grass portion of the yard sat a large practice net and two children’s racquets. The second half of the yard contained a massive pool. Abby and Wymack had built it when all the Foxes began to have children as a way to convince them to visit. By the look of things, David hadn’t had the time to uncover the pool and clean it just yet. So, the large blue cover was still on. 

David clapped his hands again. “Focus you two. And don’t even think about jumping in that pool with the cover on,” he warned.

The twins snapped to attention, their gaze focusing on David. 

“Yes?” Willow asked. 

Wymack grabbed the two racquets. “Right, going to be taking you through some basic drills. I want you to begin with basic running. Start at the door and run to the goal, touching it, and then run back. On my whistle, you will do ten push-ups, ten sit ups and ten squats…Go!” 

Willow and Mackenzie followed the instructions obediently. Every few laps they would hear the sound of Wymack’s whistle blow and they rushed to the ground. The warm-up lasted for five minutes. A slight sweet broke out on their foreheads. Finally, Wymack handed them the racquets. 

“Next we’re going to be working on your reflexes. I’ll toss the balls to you, either high or low, and you’re going to have to catch them. Understand?” He asked. 

The two nodded. From the corner of her eye, Willow noticed that Mackenzie’s eyes were slightly drooping. His head nodding to the side. There was no way that he was still tired. She glanced back at Wymack just as he whistled. They spent a good ten minutes catching the balls. And even from that exercise, it was clear that both needed to work on their catching. Willow seemed to struggle catching low throwing balls. While, Mackenzie struggled catching high balls.   
When they stopped, Willow noticed at, even with that simple exercise, Mackenzie was out of breath. 

“You going to be okay?” She whispered. 

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Just out of practice is all,” he replied. 

The next exercise involved Willow shooting on the goal. Mackenzie shuffled to his position as Wymack set up balls along the center of the yard. Willow stood across from her brother and watched him closely. He was now leaning heavily on his racquet. It was clear, however, that he was still trying to make everything seem normal. When the balls were set up, Willow took a ball and chucked it at the goal. Mackenzie was just a fraction of a second too late. Her brother scowled and took his position again. She continued to throw balls at the net. Because Mackenzie was out of practice, most of the balls had slipped past his racquet. 

“Right, Willow, I’m going to work specifically with your brother and work on goalie related drills. What I want you to do is…” Wymack couldn't even finish his sentence. Before they knew it, Mackenzie collapsed to the ground. 

This was just like when they found out that Mackenzie was sick. Willow’s heart sank into her stomach and everything suddenly went into slow motion. She watched Wymack rush to her brother’s side and gently lift him into his arms. He was yelling something at the door, but she couldn’t hear anything. Suddenly, Abby was at the door. She wasn’t there long. Instead, she disappeared back into the house. Soon, Wymack was yelling something at her. He continued to repeat himself. She shook her head and his voice became clear. 

“Willow! Willow!” He yelled. 

“Huh?” She asked dumbly. 

“I need you to pack a few things for your brother. Abby is going to take him to the hospital. We’re going to follow in the car,” he instructed. 

Willow nodded her head and wandered slowly into the house. In the distance, she could hear the faint sounds of ambulance sirens. David rushed past her and laid Mackenzie across the couch. When she finally made it into the living room herself, she grabbed a set of clothes and his pajamas, stuffing them into his backpack. She numbly handed it to Abby, who took it thankfully. 

There was a sudden knock. David rushed to the door and opened it, allowing two paramedics with a gurney to hurry into the room. There was a lot of talking, which Willow couldn’t really understand. All she knew was that her brother was going to the hospital, again. She watched as he was placed carefully onto the gurney and led to the door. Abby paused momentarily in front of Willow and knelt. 

“Everything will be fine sweetie, okay?” She smiled. “Your brother will be completely fine. I’m going to go with him and make sure that he’s set up comfortably. You and Grandpa Wymack will follow close behind.” She got to her feet and glanced at Wymack. “Call Neil when you get into the car.” 

Wymack nodded and took Willow’s hand. He led her to the car, his eyes glancing down at his phone, dialing Neil. By the time they had slipped into the car, the ambulance had already left. They sat in tense silence for several minutes before Wymack sighed with relief. No doubt Neil had picked up. 

“Neil…it’s David…” There was another silence. “It’s Mackenzie, something happened…he collapsed…Abby just took him to the hospital in an ambulance… Yes, I have Willow, we’re going to follow them now….right….right…we’ll be waiting for you.” 

He hung up and glanced at Willow. “Neil and Andrew are going to be taking the first flight home right after the game,” he explained. 

Willow nodded. “Okay,” she muttered. 

Wymack sighed and drove towards the hospital in silence.


	12. Chapter 12

Wymack and Willow met Abby at the hospital. As they passed through the automatic doors, they saw her pacing the reception area, biting her nails. Wymack placed a hand on her shoulder. She jumped and looked worriedly at him. 

“Any word yet?” He asked. 

Abby shook her head. “Not yet. They rushed him in to do some tests. They said that it would take a couple of hours before they know anything,” she explained. “What about Neil and Andrew?” 

“Their game was done and they were already at the court for interviews.. They’re coming on the evening flight,” he said. 

Abby nodded. That was good at least. She looked down at Willow, who was now kneeling on the floor, rocking gently. She knelt across from her and gently held her. Resting Willow’s head on her shoulder, holding her close. Since Mackenzie’s collapse all attention was on him, making sure that he was alright. No one had really checked up on Willow. She looked down lovingly at Willow. 

“Willow, are you doing okay?” Abby asked. 

Willow shook her head numbly. No, nothing was okay. After months of appointments, blood transfusions and even a Bone Marrow Transplant, her brother had just collapsed. Again. She squeezed her pant legs tightly, fighting back tears. She wasn’t sure whether she wanted to scream, cry or do both. 

“Willow?” Abby asked. 

“What?” She snapped, pulling away from Abby. 

Abby remained on her knees, her hands in her lap. “What’s wrong?” 

“Everyone’s the same!” She yelled, tears rolling down her cheeks. “Everyone thinks that all I need to do is just cry it out and then go back to donating to my brother! No one cares how much pain I go through! No one cares about me! But I matter!” By now, strangers’ heads were turned, watching her blow up. 

“You do matter Willow,” Abby spoke gently. “And it’s not fair that no one has made you feel like you do. I can imagine how hurtful that must be.” 

“No, you can’t! No one knows what it’s like to go through this! Not Andrew, not Neil, not even you or Grandpa Wymack!” Willow yelled. 

Abby nodded calmly, allowing Willow to release her frustrations. There was nothing she could really say. The best thing for Willow right now was to allow her to get her frustration out. Willow soon began to angrily pace the reception room, hands clenched into fists. A few minutes later Wymack cleared his throat.

“Come on, let’s go out for a walk. We’ll find a place for an ice cream or something,” he said. “My treat.” 

Willow didn’t respond. Instead, she just stormed to the door, Wymack looked to Abby before following close behind her. The two walked for a couple hours, keeping any conversation they had to things Willow enjoyed. Mostly it revolved around video games, Harry Potter, wrestling, nail polish and, surprisingly, tea parties. And, as promised, David grabbed her an ice cream, even buying her a small bag of Reese Mini Peanut Butter Cups. 

Eventually, they made their way back to the hospital. Willow had finally calmed enough to sit patiently and wait. David had set her up with his phone and turned it to a live stream of Neil and Andrew’s game. Once Willow was settled , Abby took Wymack aside. 

“Mackenzie’s doctor won’t tell me much. But what I have learned is that they have found an anomaly in Mackenzie’s kidney,” she whispered. She glanced over her shoulder to Willow, who was watching something on David’s phone. No doubt she was watching the live stream of Neil and Andrew’s game. She returned her focus onto David. “It could be nothing, but it could be…something a lot worse.” 

“We’ll just have to wait for Andrew and Neil to get here,” Wymack replied. 

Abby nodded. The two returned to Willow. Abby smiled and clapped her hands together. “Alright…” Willow glanced up from the phone. “Who wants Chinese Take Out?” 

Willow smiled. “Can we have spring rolls and fried rice?” She asked. 

“It wouldn’t be Chinese Take Out without those dishes,” Abby replied. 

She pulled her phone from her purse and went outside to call. Meanwhile, Wymack took a seat beside Willow and rested an arm on the back of her chair. He glanced at his phone. 

“What’s the score?” He asked. 

“It’s currently 4-3 for the Miami Dolphins. The Cavaliers are currently down a Striker, who took a bad tackle early in the first fifteen minutes,” Willow explained. “Andrew is, as usual, not taking the game seriously, which is why the Dolphins are currently in the lead.” 

“Let’s just hope the goalie in the second half can pick up the slack,” Wymack muttered. 

“Neil’s gotten some good passes in this game,” Willow mentioned. 

“Neil always had a good head on his shoulders when it came to games.” Wymack leaned in a bit closer to watch. 

At half time, Willow handed the phone back to Wymack and rushed off to the bathroom. Abby, eventually returned with their meal. She had gotten an order of spring rolls, fried rice, mixed vegetables and black bean short ribs. When Willow returned, Wymack got to his feet. 

“There’s some picnic tables outside. Let’s have a nice dinner out in the sunshine,” Abby suggested. 

Willow shrugged. “Sure…” she replied. 

The three of them wandered outside and took a seat at one of the many picnic tables. From the plastic bag, Abby handed out plates and cutlery before laying the food onto the table. Wymack set his phone against one of the containers to allow them to finish the game. Willow’s stomach growled loudly and she served herself. For the first time, she didn’t need to worry about using clean utensils when it came to serving. As usual, Willow ate with gusto, keeping her eyes glued to the game while Abby and Wymack spoke in hushed tones. 

By the time they had finished dinner, the game ended. The final score was 5-4 for the Dolphin’s. It wasn’t the outcome that Willow wanted but she couldn’t argue with a close game like that. Wymack slipped his phone back into his pocket. Willow silently helped clean up and toss their garbage, while Abby placed the leftovers in the car. As they entered the hospital again, Wymack’s phone buzzed. 

“Hello?” He answered. He paused at the door and went silent. It was probably Neil on the phone. Occasionally he responded with a simple ‘uh huh.’ “Great, we’ll see you later tonight.” He looked up as he hung up the phone. “That was Neil. He said that he and Andrew are now heading to the airport. They’ll be late, so they'll meet us at the house.” 

“Alright…does that mean we should head back there?” Abby asked. 

“It’s probably best if we do,” Wymack replied. 

Abby nodded silently and walked to the reception desk. She spoke quietly to the nurse on duty, writing something down on a piece of paper. She returned and cupped her hands together. 

“The nurse has my number as well as Neil’s number just in case they need to get in touch with us,” Abby said. 

Wymack nodded and headed to the car. Willow looked back once more. She knew she should have asked to see her brother. It was too late now. David, Abby and Willow slipped into the car and drove home in silence. By the time they arrived back at the house, the sun was already beginning to set. Willow shuffled into the living room and collapsed onto the couch, turning on the tv.


	13. Chapter 13

Neil and Andrew had finally pulled in way past midnight. As expected, no one had stayed up to wait for them. They slipped out of the car. The two fumbled with their equipment bags and luggage before dropping them at their feet. Even though no one else was awake, Andrew still knew where Abby kept her spare key. His hand reached down towards the door ledge, his fingers running along it until he found the key. Abby was always too predictable. They silently entered the house. Abby had left spare blankets and pillows in the living room. They glanced at Willow, who was sleeping soundly on the couch, and patted her head. She had been through so much. And she probably would have to to go through a lot more. 

They both yawned and grabbed blankets and pillows. They didn’t even bother changing out of their travel clothes. Instead, they collapsed on the floor instantly falling into a tired sleep. Neil was woken up several hours later by his phone ringing. He groaned and sleepily grabbed his phone from the table. 

“Neil Josten,” he mumbled. 

“Good morning Mr. Josten. My apologies for waking you. My name is Jasper Gomez. We have Mackenzie’s results; do you think you could come in sometime this morning?” The voice on the other end asked. 

“Yeah…sure…we’ll be there…” He heard the phone hang up. Neil groaned and placed his head back on the pillow. 

Before he could go back to sleep, he found Willow slipping in beside him. He wrapped a protective arm around her and pulled her close. She smiled and rested her head on his chest. Neil smiled down at her. It was nice to have Willow with him. Another ten minutes wouldn’t hurt. He rolled onto his back, resting a hand on Willow’s back as she rested her head on his chest.

As the minutes went by, Neil began to awaken. He was still tired, but it was nothing that a cup of coffee wouldn’t fix. He sat up slowly, waking Willow in the process. She rubbed her eyes sleepily. The two got to their feet and shuffled into the kitchen, leaving Andrew to sleep longer. On the counter, coffee was already prepared. 

It took him awhile to find everything that they needed for breakfast. But he managed to find bowls, spoons and even a mug. From the cupboard he also found the box of Coco Puff cereal. He sat the cereal on the table with milk, allowing Willow to serve herself. They were silent for several minutes, as Neil nursed his coffee. 

“So, I heard that Abby ordered Chinese food last night,” Neil said, trying to keep conversation away from Mackenzie. 

Willow nodded. “Yeah. There should be left over fried rice and spring rolls in the fridge.”

That perked Neil’s interest. He placed his mug on the table and opened the fridge door, rummaging for the leftovers. He finally found them and smiled. There wasn’t much but it would be enough for a meal. He joined Willow at the table and ate with enthusiasm as he realized that both he and Andrew had forgotten to eat dinner after the game. By the time Willow and Neil had finished breakfast, there was stirring in the living room as Andrew began to wake. Minutes later he joined them. He didn’t speak, instead, he just headed for the coffee. No one usually engaged Andrew in conversation until he had had, at least, his first cup of coffee. 

Neil tossed the dishes into the sink. “Come on Will, let’s get ready for the day.” 

Willow nodded and followed Neil out. While Andrew regained his consciousness, Willow and Neil managed to get themselves cleaned up and dressed. Neil had pulled on a pair of clean casual jeans and a t-shirt, while Willow wore one of the sweater dresses and tights that Renee had sent her. Her hair was tied in its usual messy bun. 

Neil leaned on the kitchen door and crossed his arms. “You going to get yourself ready?” 

Andrew glanced up from his coffee mug and displayed his middle finger. Neil kept his gaze on Andrew, his face blank. Andrew’s own face remained stone cold. Willow watched the two as they had their silent conversation. Finally, Andrew raised his free hand. 

“Fine, I’ll get dressed,” he said and pushed himself off his chair. He poured the rest of his coffee down the drain and disappeared. 

Neil and Willow had to wait another ten minutes before Andrew finally returned to the kitchen fully dressed in a pair of jeans and his usual black shirt and armbands. From the middle of the kitchen table he grabbed an apple and headed for the door. 

“Come on then Neil. You’re the one who’s in such a rush,” Andrew said. 

Neil and Willow followed Andrew in silence. Despite being tired Andrew slipped into the driver's seat of the car and drove the family to the hospital. Andrew and Neil were both silent in the front of the car. . Willow pressed her hand against the window, resting her chin on the frame of the door, and looked up. The sky was clouding over, water falling onto the window. Her face became sad as she traced her finger across the window, following a single drop of rain. Next thing she knew they were at the front of the hospital. 

They all slipped out of the car after Andrew parked. As a family, they entered the hospital. The ambiance all too familiar and depressing. Willow clenched her hands together and looked sternly at the floor as Neil approached the reception desk. 

“Hello, I’m Neil Josten. I was called by Mr. Jasper Gomez this morning about Mackenzie Minyard-Josten,” he said. 

“Ah, yes. Thank you for coming Mr. Josten. Let me page Doctor Roberts,” the nurse said with a smile. 

There was a moment of silence as the nurse contacted Mackenzie’s doctor. Willow rocked on her feet trying to relieve her boredom, her head lolled back. Andrew rolled his eyes and led her to the seats across the room. Neil joined them soon afterwards. Andrew and Neil both took a seat. Meanwhile, Willow flopped into their laps, her arms stretched out over her head. Andrew ignored her behaviour as he checked his phone. Neil sighed. 

“Willow, you’re ten. Stop acting like you’re five,” Neil whispered. “Sit up.” 

Willow stuck out her tongue defiantly, but did as she was told. She sat up in Andrew’s lap and rested her head on his chest. Naturally, his hand rested on her back and he patted it gently, his eyes never leaving his phone. It was another ten minutes before Doctor Roberts finally arrived. She smiled and offered Neil her hand. 

“Thank you for coming,” she said. “Come to my office and we can discuss things a bit further.” 

Neil and Andrew got to their feet, forcing Willow to stand on her own. The three of them followed her through the familiar halls and into her office. She took a seat in her chair, Andrew and Neil sitting across from her. Andrew pulled Willow into his lap again, and wrapped a single arm around her waist. She leaned against Andrew and frowned. 

“As you’re probably aware Mackenzie had an accident yesterday,” Doctor Roberts began. 

“Yes, we are aware. What we want to know is what happened,” Neil said. 

“Yes…about that.” There was a pause as she pulled down a model from one of the top shelves. “We ran a couple of X-rays yesterday and we found that Mackenzie’s cancer has grown from stage one to stage three cancer quite rapidly. It has now spread to his entire left kidney and has now spread to his right kidney as well,” she explained, indicating his left kidney. “Surgery is a must if we want to make sure that it doesn’t spread to any other healthy organs. During this surgery, we will have to remove his left kidney,” she explained. “Which means that…” There was another pause. “That someone will have to donate a kidney if we don’t want him to wait on the donor list. This is a fairly common surgery, so things should run smoothly.” 

Neil glanced at Andrew before glancing at Willow. Andrew knew what the doctor was going to ask next and he tightened his grip around Willow’s waist, pulling her closer to him. His free hand clenched into a fist. His breath coming heavy as he began to see red. So far, the only person who was able to save him was Willow. And, so far, Andrew had been mostly accepting of her donating blood and bone marrow. But donating an entire kidney was asking too much. They looked to Doctor Roberts. 

“Is there a chance that we could possibly not wait five years for an organ donation?” Neil asked. 

“I’m afraid that’s not possible. You can either wait the five years or…” She glanced at Willow. 

Neil sighed. “Can we have some time to think about it?” He asked. 

Doctor Roberts nodded. “Of course. This is a big decision.” She gave them a soft smile. “Meanwhile, why don’t you visit Mackenzie? I know that he’s been eager to see you.”

“Thank you doctor,” Neil replied. He nudged Andrew. 

Andrew broke from his rage and looked up at Neil. The family got to their feet. 

“Mackenzie is in room 4,” Doctor Roberts said. 

Neil nodded in thanks and left the office. Andrew followed behind with Willow beside him. Of course, Willow hadn’t understood everything that was being said in the office. Still, she was nervous . She slipped her hand into Andrew’s, his hand seemed so gargantuan in size compared to hers, and squeezed gently. Andrew squeezed back, reassuring her that everything would be okay. She held back her tears. 

They easily found room 4. Mackenzie was lying quietly on his bed, reading one of the borrowed books from the hospital. As they entered, he looked up and smiled sloppily. Neil and Andrew knew that he was in a lot of pain. Still, they would keep spirits up. They approached the bed and took seats in the chairs next to him. Neil crossed one leg over the other, while Andrew slouched and rested his elbows on the armrests. Willow joined her brother on the bed. 

“Hey brat, what are you reading?” Andrew asked, casually pointing to the book in his lap. 

“Oh….” Mackenzie looked down. “The rolling library had a copy of Dogman, one that I haven’t read yet.” 

“Really? Which one?” Willow asked, grasping the book from Mackenzie’s lap. 

“Hey!” Mackenzie cried, reaching for the book. “That’s mine! Give it back!” 

“Yeah, I will. Give me one minute!” Willow cried back, placing a hand on her brother’s forehead to keep him from grabbing the book from her. 

Mackenzie scowled and tackled her, pinning her down on the bed. Willow squirmed under him before rolling him onto his back, sitting on his legs. She grabbed the book again. Whenever Mackenzie tried to sit up, Willow slapped him with the book. Andrew and Neil watched in silence as the two wrestled each other on the bed, not bothering to stop the fight. They both smirked as they found it rather amusing. It was also an indication that things were relatively normal. 

The family spent several hours at the hospital. Most of the time, the twins were out in the common room watching the movie playing. Andrew and Neil sat in quiet contemplation in the bedroom. When the movie was done, Neil gently placed a hand on Willow’s shoulder. 

“Come on, time for us to go home,” he said. 

Willow got to her feet. From the corner of his eye, Neil noticed Mackenzie yawn. He sighed. Even their short visit had completely tired Mackenzie out. He walked him to his room as Andrew and Willow waited out in the hall. Neil tucked Mackenzie into bed and smiled. 

“We’ll see you soon kiddo,” Neil said and ruffled his hair. 

~~

The three of them left the hospital in silence and slipped silently into the car again. . Soon, they began the journey home. They were silent for several minutes, their silence drowned by the rain as it continued to pour. Willow kept her eyes focused on her window, watching the drops slide down the glass. The sound of it calmed her. Their first stop was at Abby and David’s to collect their belongings. Both Abby and Wymack were at the university, so the family didn’t linger. When the car was packed, they finally were able to head for their own home. 

Again, no one spoke in the car for several minutes. Andrew sat quietly at the wheel, driving, while Neil stared blankly out the window. Willow sighed and stared down at her lap. Eventually, Neil cleared his throat. 

“Willow, did you understand what the doctor was talking about today?” He asked. 

“Not really,” she admitted. “I mean, I understood a little bit. I understood that Mackenzie’s still sick. And he needs surgery.” 

“I see…” Neil paused and glanced briefly at Andrew. 

“I’m not getting involved in this conversation. The fact that I even listened to what the doctor had to say was a miracle in of itself,” Andrew replied. 

Neil stared, unamused, at Andrew. He took a deep breath. “You’re right Willow. Mackenzie does need a surgery. It seems that both his kidneys are failing and he needs a new one. We can put him on a waitlist for the kidney, but that takes quite a long time. So…” There was a pause. This was hard. There was no real easy way to say what he had to say. He sighed. “In order to make sure that Mackenzie doesn’t have to wait, the doctor wants you to donate one of your kidneys to Mackenzie.” 

Willow snapped her head towards Neil, eyes wide. There was a pain in her chest, like someone was squeezing on her heart. Her breath came in short pants. She could feel tears spring to the corner of her eyes and slowly fall down her cheeks. Her hands clenched the hem of her dress as she tried to control her crying. But she couldn’t stop herself. Everything came crashing down and she burst into tears. It started as a tiny cry. Then she couldn’t hold it in and she began to wail. Her head resting back onto her headrest. Her nose now becoming stuffy. 

Andrew swerved abruptly and pulled to the side of the road. The car behind them giving a loud honk. He rushed out of his seat without a word and rushed to the back seat. He unbuckled Willow and pulled her into his lap, holding her tightly. The car remained on the side of the road for what seemed like forever. The rain and Willow’s crying the only sound. Eventually, Neil sighed and slipped into the driver’s seat, taking them home.


	14. Chapter 14

Neil knew that Willow was in a foul mood and it would take several days before she was ready to actually talk seriously about Mackenzie’s situation. Even Andrew was in a foul mood about it. So, Neil allowed them their space before requesting a family meeting at the kitchen table. It wasn’t until Friday that they took a seat to talk. Neil placed a bowl of popcorn in the centre of the table, allowing Willow to happily munch in silence for a few minutes. Andrew sat bored in his chair, staring at the wall. 

Neil cleared his throat. “Look, we all know why we’re here. We need to discuss the possibility of Willow giving her kidney to Mackenzie.” 

Willow paused in her snacking and pursed her lips. She nodded. 

“So, what I’ve decided is that we write the pros and cons of the situation.” Neil placed a large piece of lined paper on the table. He split the page in two and wrote the words “pro” and “con” at the top. “Well, the first pro I want to write down is that Mackenzie won’t need to wait for a kidney.” He quickly jotted the note down. 

“Yeah, but once Willow gives him her kidney, she suddenly needs to be careful. That means she won’t be able to drink, she’ll have to be careful when it comes to sports, she’ll even need to be careful when it comes to getting pregnant,” Andrew added. 

Neil had considered that and nodded. He wrote the note down. 

“Another pro is that Mackenzie will have a lot more energy…” Neil shrugged. 

“Yes, but both could potentially suffer from depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety,” Andrew added. 

So far everything that Neil and Andrew had said was true. Neil puffed out his cheeks and looked at Willow, who sat stiffly in her chair. 

“With the new kidney and regular chemotherapy, there is also potential that the cancer won’t return,” Neil explained. 

“True, but, according to the research I’ve done, there are so many risks for Willow after surgery. Like did you know, 18% of donors get high blood pressure. 5% get chronic kidney disease,” Andrew argued. 

“The same group of specialists also say that the donor also gets the feeling of reward and relief because most transplant patients have much better health after their transplant,” Neil rebutted. “Plus, most patients have higher self-esteem after they donate.” 

The two argued for almost an hour about the pros and cons about the surgery while Willow sat silently between them, staring blankly at the sheet. Neil brought up that once Willow donated her kidney to her brother, there was potential for the two to have a better relationship after the surgery was over. Andrew argued that there was still the possibility that Mackenzie’s body would reject her kidney. As well as the high costs pre and post-surgery. Soon, they had a full page of notes of pros and cons about the issue. 

Finally, Neil sighed. “I think the most important thing that we need to understand is that the kidney donation will lessen the probability of him dying because of this cancer.” 

Neil had a point. If Mackenzie got a new kidney from Willow, then the cancer wouldn’t spread. And ultimately, Mackenzie would live a long and healthy life. Andrew couldn’t argue with that. Neil looked at Willow, who, by now, had rested her chin on the table. He sighed. 

“Look, obviously we can’t make a decision right away. I suggest we think about it over the weekend and make a decision Sunday night,” Neil said. 

Andrew just shrugged before getting up and leaving the table to begin preparing dinner. Willow remained seated, staring at the sheet of paper on the table. There was so much to think about. On the one hand, she wanted to help her brother by giving him one of her kidneys. On the other hand, if she did this for her brother, she would have to be careful when it came to everything until a new kidney arrived for her. If a new kidney arrived for her. She clenched and unclenched her hands, breathing deeply. 

Neil looked at her and sighed. He got to his feet. It was clear that Willow was anxious about making a decision about her brother. He figured that it would be good for her to forget the conversation for the evening. So, he motioned for her to follow him into the living room. Willow followed silently. 

“So, it’s family movie night. What do you want to watch?” He asked. 

“Ummm…Space Jam?” She asked. 

“Sure, we can do that.” He smiled and pulled her close as they entered the living room. 

~~

Sunday finally arrived and it was time for Willow to make her decision. She had thought long and hard about what she wanted to do over the last couple of days. Again, the family met around the kitchen table. The sheet of paper still lying across its surface. Willow gulped and stared at it. Andrew slumped into his chair, arms crossed angrily across his chest, eyes staring menacingly at the wall. Neil cleared his throat. 

“So, Willow, have you thought about this?” Neil asked. 

Willow nodded. “Yes…” She replied softly. 

“What would you like to do, Willow? And you know that Andrew and I will support your decision no matter what,” he said. 

Willow nodded again. She understood that very well. Neil and Andrew always supported the decision of both her and her brother. She gulped. “I’ve thought about both sides of the issue a lot.” She paused. She felt her heart tighten. “And, I have to be honest, a part of me doesn’t want to go through with this at all…” Again, she paused as tears welled up in her eyes. “Ultimately, though, I know going through with it is what’s best for Mackenzie.” Willow took a deep breath and sniffed. “So, I’ve decided to go through with the surgery. I want to give my kidney to him.”

Andrew just sighed and shook his head, excusing himself from the table. Neil didn’t watch him leave. Instead, he only smiled at Willow. He was so proud of Willow at that moment, tears of pride welling in his eyes. The decision she made was such a grown-up decision. Something that most adults struggled to decide. She had grown up so much in the last few months. But she had been forced too. The only thing that Neil wished was her not having to grow up so fast. 

“Are you sure Willow?” He asked. 

“Yes…it’s what I want to do,” she replied. 

“That’s very responsible of you Willow,” he said. “I’m proud of you.” 

Neil rounded the table and kissed Willow’s head. This was cause for celebration. He smiled at her. 

“How about we order in for dinner?” He asked. “Whatever you want.” 

“Can we get a large Hawaiian pizza?” She asked. 

“Done.” He gave her finger pistols before pulling his phone from his pocket. He walked into the hall to make the call. 

From the hall, Neil noticed the door to the front porch open. Andrew was standing outside, leaning on the wall of the house, smoking. He let out a slow stream of smoke. There was a steady stream of rain falling. Neil walked to the door and opened it. 

“Andrew,” Neil began. “This was Willow’s decision.” 

“Doesn’t mean I have to be happy with it,” Andrew replied, taking in another drag. 

Neil joined him outside and pulled out his own cigarette and lit it, yet he didn’t bring it to his mouth. Instead, he just held it casually between his fingers, dangling it in front of his face. There was silence between them for a while.

“Andrew, she needs us both to be supportive on this,” Neil finally said. 

Andrew remained silent, flicking the butt of his cigarette away. “Willow knows that I support her. I’m just trying to process this whole thing.” 

Neil nodded. There wasn’t much else that he could say to Andrew now. He placed his hand on the doorknob. “Come on, I’m ordering Willow a Hawaiian pizza. Do you want our usual?” He asked. 

“…Yeah….” Andrew pushed off the wall. 

“One Carnivore pizza coming up,” Neil said with a smile. 

The two returned into the house.


	15. Chapter 15

Even though Neil had made the call to the hospital the day after Willow’s decision, it still took them almost two months to slot them in for surgery. But  _ finally  _ the twins got their surgery date in early June. Which, ironically, was the last day of school before they started their summer vacation. 

Finally, the day of their surgery came. Already, Mackenzie was packed and waiting at the front door for them to leave. Willow remained in her room, staring at her half-packed duffle bag. She had packed the essentials: toiletries, pajamas, entertainment. She was now intentionally procrastinating on what clothes to pack. Even though she had agreed to the surgery, she was still scared. All Willow wanted to do was crawl back into bed. 

When Willow had not come to the door, Neil knocked on the door of her bedroom and leaned on the doorframe. He crossed his arms. 

“Hey Will, you packed?” He asked. 

Willow jumped and turned sharply. “Oh…yeah…I’m almost done, I promise.” 

Neil craned his neck and glanced at the half-packed bag. “Oh yeah, totally,” he said, shaking his head. 

He walked across the room and looked at the pile of clothing scattered on the bed. He sighed and rubbed his face with annoyance. She would only need clothes for about a week before him and Andrew would return with fresh ones. Willow didn’t need to overthink about these choices. 

“Okay, so it seems that you’ve picked clothes. Why not just pack them?” He asked. 

Willow shrugged. “I don’t know. I can’t just pick anything, you know?” she replied. 

Since when did Willow start making the conscious decision of being fashionable? She had never done so before. Why start now? Neil groaned with frustration. Willow had agreed a while ago to help her brother. They didn’t have time for her passive aggressive attitude. He grabbed clothes at random and began to stuff them into the bag. Willow furrowed her brow and pouted. Her hands clenched in fists. 

“I don’t need your help,” she hissed. 

“Clearly you do Willow,” he argued. “Stop being so passive aggressive. We don’t have time for this.” 

Willow crossed her arms and took a seat on the bed, angrily. “I’m not passive aggressive!” She snapped. 

“The intentional procrastination, the shrugging, not cooperating. Don’t bullshit me Willow, you definitely are. And it’s unfair!” Neil snapped. “So far I’ve been more than patient with you  _ and  _ Andrew. But now it needs to stop!” He finished packing her bag and tossed it into the hall. “Now get your ass out that door!” 

Willow gasped; eyes wide, back stiff, tears threatening to fall. Neil had never yelled at her like that before with her. Neil never yelled in general. Except when Andrew really pissed him off. She obediently nodded and rushed out the door, grabbing her bag along the way. Mackenzie had heard the conversation in Willow’s bedroom and stood awkwardly at the front door. He saw that his sister was upset. And for good reason. But he wasn’t sure what to say to make her feel better. Instead, he rushed out the door the moment Neil entered the hall. Willow followed quickly and quietly behind her brother. 

Andrew flicked his finished cigarette away and got into the car when he saw Neil pass. He knew that Neil had snapped. He had heard Neil yell from the porch. But decided not to say anything. Instead, he gave Neil the cold shoulder as he slipped into the car. The kids followed Andrew. 

The car ride was quiet as they drove to the hospital. Mackenzie stared down at his lap, while Willow looked sadly out the window. Even though they had done the drive to the hospital plenty of times, it felt like it was taking forever to get there.  _ At least it’s nice out _ , Willow thought. She sighed and rested her chin in the palm of her hand. Mackenzie glanced at his sister and brushed his fingers against hers, hoping she would take his hand for reassurance. Willow didn’t respond. He sighed sadly and returned to staring at the floor. 

When they reached the hospital, they were led immediately to the Children’s Ward, where any nurses they passed cheered them on. Words of encouragement were spoken to them. The twins smiled weakly. They were in no state to reply, but it was nice to feel supported. They entered their room and placed their bags onto the bed. But before they could even unpack Thomas entered the room. 

“Hey guys!” He said enthusiastically. 

The twins waved silently and took a seat on their bed. Thomas knelt and kept his usual smile. 

“You two feeling okay today?” He asked. 

The twins shrugged and glanced at Neil and Andrew. “Fine…I guess,” Mackenzie finally answered. 

“Scared a bit?” He asked. 

“A bit,” Mackenzie said. He glanced at his sister who had now pulled up her legs and hugged them tightly. 

Thomas followed his gaze and silently observed Willow. “It’s understandable that you’re scared. This is a big surgery. It’s very scary,” he explained. “You trust me though, right?” He asked, directing the question at Willow. 

Willow’s eyes darted towards him, “Yes,” she whispered. 

“I have your back,” Thomas said. 

He got back to his feet and motioned for Andrew and Neil to join the twins on the beds. They followed the silent instructions and took their seat. Thomas held his hands together. 

“The steps leading up to the surgery are going to remain the same,” he began. “Willow and Mackenzie are going to be led to the prep room where they’ll dress into their hospital gowns. The IVs will be inserted, this time, into your hand.” He pointed to the very centre of his own hand. “Once you’re under, the doctor will turn both of you on your side and make one incision along the side of your torsos. Mackenzie’s kidneys will be removed first and then Willow’s. After that the new kidney will be transferred to Mackenzie where the kidney’s blood vessels and ureter will be properly connected. Once that’s done you will both be stitched back up.” 

“Will it hurt?” Willow asked. 

“Patients have experienced pain in the stomach for a little bit after the surgery is complete. But it will be like the other surgeries you’ve had Willow. You won’t feel anything while you’re asleep,” Thomas explained. 

“How long will it take?” Neil asked. 

“This procedure could take three or more hours to complete,” Thomas replied. 

Willow and Mackenzie gasped and hunched their shoulders. Thomas sensed their unease and gave them a reassuring smile. 

“Everything will be fine you two,” he reassured. He looked to Neil and Andrew. “Do you have any other questions before we get them ready?” He asked.

They shook their heads. Thomas nodded and motioned for the twins to get to their feet. Before they could leave, the familiar faces of Wymack and Abby poked around the corner of their room, their smiling faces were a comfort. Abby was first to enter, she had small bags in her hands, which she placed on one of the side tables. 

“We thought we would come and support you all today,” she said. She glanced at the twins. “We brought you some gifts.” 

Smiles spread across the twins faces and they glanced at Thomas, who checked his watch. “We have some time for them to open the gifts.” 

“Excellent.” Abby handed each of them their own bag. 

The twins tore at the tissue paper. Inside was a small bag of their favourite candies, a small teddy bear and something unique for each of the twins. For Mackenzie, Abby had bought one of the  _ Dogman _ books. And for Willow, Abby had gotten her a new  _ Pokemon  _ video game for her switch. Wide smiles spread across their faces. 

“You two spoil them, you know that?” Neil said. 

“As their surrogate grandparents, I think we have the right to spoil them a bit,” Abby replied with a grin. 

“Thanks Grandma Abby!” The twins said in unison. 

“Of course, you two.” Abby leaned over and kissed each of their cheeks. 

Thomas cleared his throat. “Sorry to interrupt but we should get going.” 

“Right…” Abby said. “We’ll see you two later.” 

David approached silently and ruffled their hair, giving each of them a wink, before taking a seat out in the hall. Wymack never was good at saying anything sentimental. Abby soon joined him in the hall, leaving Andrew and Neil alone with the twins. Neil knelt and embraced them firmly. 

“We’ll see you in a few hours,” he said. He glanced at Willow. “And I’m sorry about before Will. I should never have yelled at you. It was unfair and  _ wrong _ that I let my frustration out on you.” 

Willow shrugged and looked away. Neil sighed and got to his feet. This allowed Andrew to kneel in front of them. Silently, he pulled the twins in for his own embrace. Pulling them to the floor. He could feel Willow resting on his knee. They were silent for a moment. None of them needed to speak. The twins instinctively knew that Andrew loved them. After a moment, he gave them each a kiss on their forehead and pulled away. 

Now, the twins were ready. They followed Thomas through the halls to the same room where they usually dressed. They followed the same routine. They dressed silently into their hospital gowns, the IVs were placed into their hands with ease and then they were pushed down the halls to the operation room. Doctor Roberts was there, waiting patiently, a smile on her face. She placed her hands on the side of their beds and nodded. 

“Let’s do this,” she whispered. 

As usual, the masks were placed over their nose and mouth. Mackenzie reached for his sister and grasped her hand. In return, Willow squeezed his hand gently. Reassured that her brother was there for her. 

~~

“You two doing okay?” Abby asked, once Neil and Andrew were settled in the waiting area. 

Neil seemed distracted and hadn’t quite registered what Abby had said. His fingers were weaved together, his elbows resting on his knees. When he hadn’t answered, Andrew nudged him, breaking Neil’s train of thought. He looked above his fingers. 

“Hmmm? What was that Abby? I was lost in thought,” Neil replied. 

“I asked if you two were doing okay,” Abby repeated. 

“As well as we can be in this situation,” Neil replied. “I don’t think any parent is  _ really  _ okay when something like this happens to their kids.”    
  
Neil’s shoulders slouched as if there were weights forcing them down. Abby gazed sadly at the two of them and noted that they both looked tired. What they were going through was no easy feat. And doing it while they were both playing professional Exy.

“Neil,” she began. “If there’s anything we can do, anything at all, please don’t hesitate to ask.” 

Andrew twitched at the word ‘please.’ He scowled. “We’re fine Abby,” he said abruptly. “We don’t need anyone’s help.” 

Neil shot him a glance. “What Andrew means to say is that we’ll keep you informed if we need help. Thanks, Abbs.” 

Wymack pushed a hand through his hair, obviously restless and unsure what to do or say. He cleared his throat. “I’m going out for a smoke. Anyone want to join me?” 

“Fuck yes,” Andrew replied. “Anything to get out of this shit hole.” 

Andrew pushed himself off his seat and joined Wymack. Before they even made it outside, Andrew had a cigarette dangling from his mouth, lighter in his hand. It was clear neither of them were good when dealing with situations like these. Neil silently took a seat beside Abby and stared sadly at the wall. There was a few minutes of silence. 

Abby cleared her throat. “Penny for your thoughts,” she said. 

“The same thought keeps running in my mind Abby…why did this happen to us? Why Mackenzie?” Neil vented. “I’m not a religious man Abby, but I sometimes wonder whether some higher being is punishing us because of the shit Andrew and I we did while we were playing with the Foxes.” 

Abby listened quietly. She wasn’t really sure what to say to that. Instead, she carefully wrapped an arm around Neil’s shoulder. Without warning, Neil burst into tears and rested his head on Abby’s shoulder, taking her by surprise. Gently, she patted his shoulder. 

“Everything will be fine Neil. Mackenzie and Willow are tough kids. A trait that you and Andrew have instilled in them. It’s a great trait. And I believe that it’s going to help them get through this,” Abby whispered. 

Abby sighed and let him continue to cry. She looked out the door of the hospital. In the distance, she watched Andrew and Wymack smoke. 

~~

There were no words between Andrew and Wymack. Wymack usually stayed out of the affairs of his ex-players, unless they explicitly sought out his help. Instead, he smoked silently. His back leaning against a bench. He let out a steady stream of smoke and glanced at Andrew, who had his usual blank expression on his face. It was always so hard to know what Andrew was feeling. 

Wymack sighed. Abby would want him to ask if Andrew was okay. “Hey Minyard, you doing okay?” He asked. 

Andrew continued to stare blankly ahead for several minutes. He took in another drag and let it out slowly. “As well as I can be in this situation,” he replied eventually. “Not much to really say.” 

“You sure?” Wymack asked. 

Andrew lifted the cigarette to his lips and paused. Slowly, he dropped his hand. “What do you want me to say Wymack?” 

“Anything,” he replied. 

Andrew glanced at the cigarette in his hand quietly and watched it burn out. He sighed and flicked it away. “Like what? Do you want me to say that I’m scared? That I’m worried that something will happen in that operation room?” He snapped, his anger rising. His heart raced. “Because I am! Every single, fucking time, they go through those double doors I worry that I’ll never get to see them again.” 

Andrew pushed himself off the bench and began to angrily pace, while David silently watched. “Then why haven’t you said anything before?” He asked. 

“Because _ I _ have to be the strong one in the family!” Andrew snapped. “I can’t show them I’m weak!” 

“Andrew, you know it’s okay to show emotions,” Wymack said. “It’s not a weakness to show how you feel.” 

“Oh, and you’re such an expert!” Andrew snapped, his hand flying accusingly at David. 

“I’m not saying that I am. But I have had experience with things like this,” he replied. “After Kayleigh’s death I wasn’t sure how to really express how I felt. So, I bottled everything up. And for years that came out as my mock aggressive threats towards the team. It wasn’t until I learned that Kevin was my son that I really started to show real emotions again.” 

“Well lucky you!” Andrew yelled. “We should all aspire to be like you Wymack! You’re father of the fucking year!” 

Wymack went silent as he lit another cigarette. He looked at Andrew and sighed. He felt sorry for Andrew. Sorry that Andrew felt that he could never express his emotions without feeling like it was some sort of weakness. He watched as Andrew slowly crouched and wrapped his arms around his head. Slowly, Andrew began to rock. 

There was silence between them. And subtly, at first, Wymack swore he heard something escape Andrew’s mouth. A quiet sob. He lowered his cigarette and watched Andrew closely. Another sob escaped Andrew’s lips, then another and another. Soon, Andrew was in full out tears. Wymack knew better than to touch Andrew, so watched at a distance as he cried. 

~~

Andrew and Wymack finally returned inside. Andrew took a silent seat beside Neil, who slipped his hand into Andrew’s. Wymack glanced at the two briefly before sitting next to Abby, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. The couples waited in meditative silence as the surgery continued. 

The hours felt like years as they waited, on bated breath, for the final results. Finally, Doctor Roberts stepped out into the waiting room. Andrew and Neil got to their feet, their hearts racing. Neil squeezed Andrew’s hand and took a sharp breath in. She smiled as she approached. 

“Everything went fine with the surgery. It will take a couple of weeks for them to recover. We’ll carefully monitor both of them,” she explained. “They are now in the recovery room and waiting to be taken back to their room. If you want you can wait for them there.” 

Neil nodded enthusiastically, tears filling his eyes. “Yes, thank you. Thank you so much doctor.” 

Neil and Andrew glanced at Wymack and Abby. The four of them walked hurriedly down the hall. They were excited to finally see the kids after the long wait. Once in their hospital room, they took seats and Andrew tapped his foot impatiently. They didn’t have to wait long, just another twenty minutes. Mackenzie and Willow were rolled into the room and carefully placed on their beds. The nurses smiled at the twins and left. Neil and Andrew didn’t hesitate. They moved to the beds and looked down at them. 

“You two okay?” Neil asked. 

“No…I feel like shit,” Willow replied, grumpily. 

“Yeah, I feel like shit too,” Mackenzie commented. 

Andrew and Neil smirked, tears in their eyes, allowing the kids to swear just this once. Gently, they lifted the kids into soft hugs, kissing their heads. Happy that their family was together. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is another picture done by the amazing mykaeba. This piece is inspired by the conversations Andrew and Neil have with Abby and David. And they are not okay with the things that transpired. Made poor Andrew cry. Check out mykaeba's tumblr y'all: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/mykaeba/627974948765433856


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